Austin Parks and Recreation currently needs $700 million to repair and renovate parks
City of Austin budget hearings are approaching, and APF needs help telling City Council that the parks are in need. According to ParkScore, Austin is ranked #46 and currently spends $103 per resident, while cities in the top ten spend an average of $208.
Austinites have enjoyed Austin’s parks over the years, and it’s important that future residents and visitors can do the same. Our parks are a major part of what makes Austin so great, from well known Zilker Metropolitan Park, to neighborhood parks like Patterson. Whether it’s playing on the swings at your local neighborhood park, seeing your first concert at Zilker Park, or swimming in the moonlight at Barton Springs, we all have memories of parks.
In order to receive the budget needed to maintain our park land, the city needs to hear voices in support of the parks. Check out the APF calendar to see dates for upcoming budget hearings, and come out and join us! These meetings give the city council an opportunity to hear what the public wants before making final decisions. APF staff will be at the hearings, and we would love all the support we can get from the community.
If you are planning on joining us here are some additional notes:
- While the budget hearing is set to start at 4PM, this may change depending on how quickly City Council can get through their agenda
- Check City of Austin social media for updates the day of to avoid sitting around waiting for them to get to the budget
- Wear It’s My Park Day shirts (or any other parks shirts you have) and bring a sign showing your support
- For those who would like to speak out on behalf of the parks, make sure to sign up beforehand at the kiosks in the city hall lobby and plan to speak for 1-3 minutes depending on how many people sign up
- You can get your City Hall parking ticket validated, meaning parking is free!
