King County Executive Dow Constantine on Tuesday, Feb. 11 announced his proposal to “renew the King County Parks Levy, a strategy that would increase county parks’ capacity for maintenance and safety, enhance ballfields, playgrounds, and aquatic centers, protect and restore more open spaces for a growing population, and accelerate the expansion of regional trails that connect to public transit,” according to a King County Executive Office news release.

His proposal for the August ballot – subject to approval by the King County Council – would offer more outdoor recreation opportunities, establish a climate response fund, and invest in upgrades at Marymoor Park in Redmond and Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center in Federal Way, according to the news release. It would also provide funding for educational programs at Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, and the Seattle Waterfront, design and build Skyway’s first community center, create a premier sports complex in South King County, and be a vehicle for essential city and park district pass-through funding.

Voters approved the current levy in August 2019. That levy, which funds about 85% of the county parks total budget, will expire Dec. 31, 2025.

The renewed levy would cost 24 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, which would cost the owner of a median-valued home ($844,000) about $206 per year or $17.18 per month, about $3.44 more per month than they currently pay, according to King County. It would generate an estimated $1.5 billion over six years starting in January 2026.

“This is our opportunity to maintain, enhance, and expand the parks and trails that bring us closer to the outdoors and to each other,” Constantine said. “We will uphold the trust that the people of King County place in us as stewards of our beloved green spaces, keeping this legacy clean, safe, and open for everyone to enjoy.”

The current levy has allocated $110 million in grant funding for successful projects that made school district and city aquatic centers safer, more accessible, and more energy efficient, advanced Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Garfield Super Block, expanded out-of-school and summer programs, and helped North SeaTac Park install lights at its BMX track so it can operate at night and host national competitions.

Constantine’s proposal for the renewed parks levy includes $117 million for similar investments, incorporating community feedback to increase grant funding for the programs in highest demand, according to the news release. It would include an additional $119 million in pass-through funding for cities and park districts that can be used for a wide range of improvements that meet their specific needs.

This would be the first King County Parks Levy to establish a climate response fund that helps communities adapt to emerging climate risks. The funds would be available for features such as splash pads and sprinklers at parks, cooling and heating systems at trusted community spaces, and making existing facilities more energy efficient.

King County Parks would be able to create more urban forest parks similar to Glendale Forest in North Highline where children and families can stay cool, safe, and connected during dangerous heat waves, according to the news release.

It would also sustain funding for King County Parks’ forest stewardship program, which has grown from one to eight foresters, forest technicians, and specialists since 2022. The increased capacity has allowed the Department of Natural Resources and Parks to accelerate large-scale restoration projects to prepare county forests for a warming climate as well as add new positions dedicated to urban forestry and wildfire risk reduction.

The projects would apply the principles of Clean Water Healthy Habitat by simultaneously protecting water quality, improving wildlife habitat, removing barriers to historic spawning grounds for salmon, and offering more recreational opportunities as King County Parks has done along Ravensdale Creek and elsewhere.

The proposed package would double the size of the King County Parks’ Youth Conservation Corps, a popular paid summer internship program for teenagers interested in careers in parks and environmental fields.

Executive Constantine’s proposal would accelerate the pace for expanding regional trails, building on the momentum King County Parks and partners made in recent years by completing the East Lake Sammamish Trail, opening bridges for Eastrail in Bellevue and Foothills Trail crossing the White River, and now transforming the iconic Wilburton Trestle into a 1,000-foot-long scenic bridge for Eastrail.

Expansion projects would include Lake to Sound Trail, Green River Trail, Soos Creek Trail, Eastrail, and Interurban Trail. It would advance a long-term goal to connect Eastrail to Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park in Renton and complete the design for a 1.7-mile connector between Eastrail and Lake to Sound Trail.

In addition to increasing capacity for maintenance and safety, Constantine’s proposal would provide funding for new amenities that improve the customer experience, according to the news release. A few examples include:

• Creating a regional sports complex in South King County by upgrading ballfields to synthetic turf with lighting at an existing King County park located east of Federal Way

• Upgrading aging facilities at Marymoor Park, including critical utility infrastructure, the venue for live music, pedestrian pathways, and other renovations and repairs

• Creating new off-leash dog areas

• Adding parking, restrooms, wayfinding, and trails to newly acquired properties

• Completing design and construction of a 20-acre nature park at Lakeland North Urban Park between Auburn and Federal Way, an unincorporated community with limited public greenspace

• Extending the Park Beautification Crews, a King County Jobs and Housing Program that provides people experiencing homelessness with family-wage employment and connections to housing services

King County Parks conducted a rigorous public listening campaign in 2024 that included 21 in-person and online events as well as two online surveys available in eight of the county’s top languages. More than 4,800 people shared feedback about their top priorities and what success could look like to them in the renewed levy. The consistent themes included fostering safety and belonging in addition to offering new parks, trails, and recreational opportunities.

The results of the listening campaign – along with recommendations from a Community Advisory Committee consisting of 26 people from diverse backgrounds from across King County – helped inform Constantine’s proposal, according to the news release.

The King County Parks Levy is a 6-year property tax that funds one of the nation’s largest metropolitan park agencies, stewarding more than 250 parks, more than 185 miles of regional trails, more than 215 miles of backcountry trails, and more than 32,000 acres of open space.