Source: SPD 

Results of first budget cycle: 2015-2020

Seattle Park District largely accomplished what it set out to do across four main areas of investment:

• Fix It First: By the end of 2020, the Park District completed 123 major maintenance projects, surpassing its goal of 120 projects. This included maintaining the Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle Aquarium, rehabilitating community centers, and restoring hundreds of acres of the urban forest through the Green Seattle Partnership.
• Maintaining Parks and Facilities: It funded day-to-day maintenance of parks and facilities, including off-leash dog areas and P-Patch community gardens.
• Programs and People: The District launched three community programs—Recreation for All, Get Moving, and Put the Art in Parks. It also supported community center operations and programs, eliminated drop-in fees in some facilities, expanded scholarships, and grew youth and senior offerings, serving over 6,000 youth and providing 22,000 meals annually for seniors.
• Building For the Future: Seattle Park District invested $214.7 million to acquire and develop parks, renovate facilities, improve management, and complete dozens of new parks projects while some were delayed or scaled back due to COVID-19.

Adjusting for the Pandemic

The Seattle Park District adapted by redirecting resources to essential services, including community support programs, enhanced cleaning, and emergency infrastructure, while delaying or reducing some capital projects in 2021 due to revenue shortfalls. In 2022, the district restored funding for major maintenance, equity initiatives, and key capital projects, while continuing to prioritize community access, recreation programs, and park improvements. These adjustments ensured continued service and support for vulnerable communities despite pandemic challenges.

Current Budget Cycle Goals and Progress

The Seattle Park District resumed its six-year budget cycle in 2023, focusing on improving park access, safety, sustainability, and equity. Highlights for this cycle include:

• Accessibility
  • Open 12 new park sites totaling over 10 acres.
  • Double the equity fund to $3 million to support park improvements in under-resourced neighborhoods.
  • Keep 129 bathrooms open year-round.

• Environmental Sustainability
  • Renovate community centers to be climate conscious.Plant over 600 additional trees in parks to increase urban tree canopy and mitigate heat islands.

• Maintenance, Renovations, and Safety
  • Making major community center renovations at Queen Anne, Lake City, Green Lake/Evans Pool, and Loyal Heights.
  • Add 26 Park Rangers (for a total of 28) to enhance safety.
  • Add a new team of 5 employees to respond to graffiti and vandalism.
  • Renovate 27 restrooms.

Overall progress

While still early in the budget cycle, improvements are underway. As of the 2024 annual report, the Seattle Park District has expanded recreation and equity programs, restored thousands of native plants and trees, renovated several parks and community centers, and strengthened safety, sustainability, and access across the park system.

Room for Improvement

Bathroom cleaning and availability, while a small portion of operations, significantly impacts user experience. A 2025 audit found that SPR is not meeting its target of cleaning the restrooms two to three times per day. While SPR handles daily operations, the Park District provides the budget for staffing and maintenance, sets priorities, and monitors performance to ensure SPR meets operational standards.

Outlook and Budget Shortfalls

Although the Seattle Park District is a dedicated funding source, the City of Seattle reallocated $7.5 million in in 2026 to cover a General Fund shortfall for essential programming, highlighting the risk such one-time shifts pose to the financial stability the Park District was created to uphold.

Did Seattle voters get what they voted for in Prop 1? The Seattle Park District was created to address a hefty maintenance backlog, provide stable funding for long term goals, and expand programs — and it largely delivered.