The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department faces $125 million in deferred maintenance each year, ranging from playground maintenance and aquatics needs to mowing and servicing trash and recycling receptacles. What would be your strategy for addressing this need?

Justin Jacobson

City Council, District 3

The funds proposed in Prop C are a good starting point, but speak to only
half of the back log on deferred maintenance, per year. When Parks and
Rec funding is contextualized in both how it makes Austin more competitive
in the Knowledge based economy of the future and the transformative
effects it can have to the most in need in our city, I believe those positives
could be parlayed into a future bond that would a sizable dent out of any
outstanding needs and provide funding for a long term parks endowment.
Leverage that with more public-private partnerships, identifying more
enhanced dedicated funding sources and revenue streams, reexamining
fees and permitting costs for events that use our park lands, would all have
the cumulative effect of ensuring the quality of our parks.