Countywide : Parks Officials to Consider Solutions to Budget Problems

Park district officials from eastern Ventura County will hold a special meeting tonight to discuss strategies to overcome severe budget shortfalls, including a proposal to ask voters to tax themselves to support parks.

General managers with the Rancho Simi, Conejo and Pleasant Valley recreation and park districts said they are considering proposing an assessment measure for East County residents or a bond measure.

The funds would be used to replenish coffers that are running dry as the state diverts property tax revenues away from special park districts, park officials said.

Last year, Rancho Simi suffered $1.1 million in lost property tax revenues as a result of state budget cuts.

Conejo lost $1.25 million and Pleasant Valley lost nearly $500,000. Next year looks worse, officials said.

The Rancho Simi district has funding for a new community center at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park, but no money to maintain it, officials said.

Conejo park district officials have frozen a planned $100,000 expansion of Banyan Park.

In the Pleasant Valley park district, plans for several neighborhood parks have been stalled.

Park officials said that unless state legislators give parks a higher priority this year than last, there will be more layoffs and some park grounds will go unkept.

Cuts are also likely in recreation programs that don’t pay for themselves through user fees, officials said.

Board members from the three districts will also attend the meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. in the Nelson Room at Cal Lutheran University, 60 W. Olsen Road in Thousand Oaks.