Park advocates call on Mayor and Council to restore $8 million to Parks & Recreation

What:              Park & recreation advocates and citizens will pack City Council Chambers to call on the Mayor and City Council to Restore $8 Million in promised funding to the Mayor’s FY 13 proposed budget for the Department of Parks and Recreation. See attached graph. For more information, go to www.philaparks.org.
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Who:               Park & recreation advocates from organizations across the city including: Athletic Advisory Council; Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis; Friends of the Azalea Garden; Bartram’s Garden; Bicycle Coalition; Bluebell Hill Civic Association; Business Association of West Parkside; Friends of Carpenter’s Woods; Carroll Park Neighbors; Center in the Park;  Christy Recreation Center Advisory Council; Center City Residents’ Association; Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future; Friends of Clark Park;  Commission on Parks and Recreation; Concourse Lake; Friends of Coxe Park;  Discovery Charter School Board; Dunbar Community Advisory Board; East Parkside Historic Coalition; Fairmount Park Conservancy; Feltonville Recreation Center Advisory Council; Finley Recreation Center Advisory Council; Franklin Chargers Athletic; Franklin Institute; Gambrell Recreation Center; Give Back Crew; Greyhound Angels Adoption; Friends of Howell Park; Friends of Happy Hollow Playground; Happy Hollow Playground Community Garden; Hunting Park United; Friends of Inn Yard Park; Kingsessing Recreation Center Advisory Council; Friends of Japanese House & Garden; Friends of Julian Able Park; Friends of Malcolm X Park; Mann Music Center Board; Friends of Muhammad Park; New Kensington CDC;  Friends of Parkside Park; PHS Tree Tenders; Friends of Palmer Park; Parkside Association of Philadelphia; Parkside Evans Recreation Center;  Friends of Pennypack Park; Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance; Philadelphia Green, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; Philadelphia Parks Alliance;  Philadelphia Recreation Advisory Council; The Philadelphian;  PHS Tree Tenders; Please Touch Museum Coalition;  Portfolio Associates; Friends of Pulaski Park; Friends of Reyburn Park;  SCARS; ; Friends of Schuylkill River Park;  Friends of Sedgly Woods; Shepard Recreation Center After School Program; Smith Playground Advisory Council; South Philadelphia Homes; Spruce Hill Community Association; Friends of Stinger Square; Tree Northeast; Tustin Recreation Center After School Program;  Urban Oasis; Vare Recreation Center Advisory Council; Friends of Vernon Square; Viola Street Residents Association; West Mount Airy Neighbors; West Mount Airy Tree Tenders;  West Park Arts Fest Advisory Board; West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone Trust Board; Friends of Wharton Square and more.
 
Where:            City Hall, City Council Chambers: Room 400
 
When:             Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 10 – 11:30am
 
Details:           An $8 million increase for Parks and Recreation would bring the Department of Parks and Recreation’s operating budget back to the level first promised by Mayor Nutter and approved by City Council four years ago.
 
In 2008 park advocates fought to pass the Mayor’s proposed “Parking Tax” increase which was promised as a dedicated funding source to increase the budget for parks. City Council approved the increase. The City collects the additional tax, but parks have not seen one penny of it.
 
Faced with recession the City made massive budget cuts. But enough is enough! After four years of broken promises and 30 years of chronic underfunding, Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation desperately need more resources in order to provide citizens with safe, well-maintained, well programmed parks and recreation!
 
Mayor Nutter has proposed a $47.8 million operating budget for FY 2013. Although it appears to be an increase, $2.1 million of that is not new money. It is revenue that the Department of Parks and Recreation previously received from other sources that in FY 2013 would be dispersed through the general fund. Therefore the current proposed budget actually flat lines the Department.
 
Contact:         Lauren Bornfriend, Director, Philadelphia Parks Alliance
                        (215) 879-8159, cell (215) 806-8244

Lauren Bornfriend
Executive Director
Philadelphia Parks Alliance
P.O. Box 12677
Philadelphia, PA 19129
(p) 215.879.8159
(f) 215.879.8833
www.philaparks.org