Tax has been renewed five times since 1972
A measure to guarantee funding for county parks will appear on the June 2006 ballot, Santa Clara County Supervisors decided this week.
The measure will not raise any new taxes, but will ask voters to renew a 1996 measure that allocates a portion of property taxes for the Park Charter Fund. This year, the fund will generate $28.8 million for growth and upkeep of the park system.
Recently, the fund was tapped to open the Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park in Gilroy and San Martin, and the county is developing the 290-acre Cottle Park in San Jose.
Details of the measure have not been set. Garnetta Annable, a board member with the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority, said a possible cut in money allocated to land acquisition would be regrettable.
“There’s still a lot of acquisition work to be done,” said Annable, who is also a member of a group supporting the measure. “One of the goals is to create a trail system that links all county parks. To accomplish that there needs to be funds to acquire land or trail easements.”
Established in 1972, the park fund has been renewed five times. In that time, the county system has grown from one to 28 parks, encompassing more than 260 miles of trails and nearly 45,000 acres.
“I think parks are one of the most important public services that the county provides,” Annable said. “They reach across the social spectrum and they’re a wonderful place for families to gather.”
Matt King covers Santa Clara County for The Times. Reach him at 847-7240 or mk***@gi************.com.
