City Council, mayor spar over PPA ticket surcharge to fund parks system

Members of City Council joined the Philadelphia Parks Alliance today to call on Mayor Michael Nutter’s administration to restore $8 million to the Department of Parks and Recreation, which would bring the operating budget to the $56 million approved by Nutter and City Council for fiscal year 2009.
That year, parks advocates fought to pass Nutter’s proposed Parking Tax, which was to serve as a dedicated revenue stream for the “chronically underfunded” department. But, though the tax was approved, the money went to other places when the economy took a turn for the worse.
“We’re looking at how do we begin to rededicate that stream of revenue,” Councilman Kenyatta Johnson said. He, along with Council members Cindy Bass – Chair of the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs –Mark Squilla and Jim Kenney all spoke today the importance of the city parks system. “For me, at a minimum – a minimum – a promise was made and if a promise was made, we need to revisit that promise and start funding these parks,” Johnson said.
Despite inflation and increased maintenance costs, the Department of Parks and Recreation’s budget has flatlined over the past 30 years, remaining virtually unchanged since 1970. Comparable cities like Cincinnati, Chicago and New York spend over twice as much per resident on parks and recreation as Philadelphia.
As the meeting at City Hall commenced, an example of the Department’s vitality was taking place just across the street in the form of a lunchtime dance workout at Love Park, part of the roster of events celebrating Love Your Park Week.