To address a sustainable quality of life, present city/town funding models are no longer viable (ie, over 90 cents of a town's discretionary General Fund dollar go to police and fire, and 2 - 3 cents to quality of life). Already, more than 85% of fire calls are actually medical calls related to community health patterns. Through the establishment of a 21st Century Model of connected Regional Park Districts, Regional Parks Community Foundations, and Government Planning Services a three-legged stool of sustainability for quality of life would emerge. By providing a MECHANISM such as a park district, and having a parks community foundation (501c3) to help leverage resources, plus Parks and Recreation revamping as Urban Planning and Design as part of city or town planning, sustainability can be achieved. These three tools create a point of entry for funding stream(s) that allows the community to equitably spread the cost of quality of life (programs, planning, building, operations and maintenance) across the entire shoulders of the community.

A park district allows any community to proactively leverage tax dollars at maximum VALUE at less expensive tax cost, than more expensive tax dollars reactively meeting these needs through social service, health, and law enforcement. This would create systemic change in Oregon communities by enabling a community to build infrastructure, with the following benefits: Recreation, Support Economic Development, Strengthen Community Image, Health and Wellness, Foster Human Development, Improve Environment, Cultural Unity, and Community Support.
People for Parks