We Need to Convince Voters Our Park District is The Natural Choice for Them.
Great parks make great communities.
Portage County is treasured for its rural character, natural areas, scenic landscapes, and historic sites. Those qualities are especially valuable, given our proximity to congested urban areas. With all the growth in Portage County, it is more important than ever to create a quality park system with areas to hike, bike, enjoy nature, and preserve our clean water. Businesses seeking to relocate look at the quality of life in the area, and communities with access to public parks, trails and greenways are increasingly attractive to them. Parks provide places for employees to rest, relax, and exercise, and smart business people have learned that healthy, happy employees are good for business.
At the same time, land prices have risen rapidly, the quality and quantity of natural lands is dwindling, and the county's population is projected to increase approximately 20 - 25% in the next 20 years. For growing communities that need and want high quality parks, time is of the essence. Now is the time to invest in the parks that will keep Portage County a great place to live, work, and play -- now and for generations to come.
Currently, the Portage Park District operates on annual revenues of about $175,000, funding that could be reduced at any time. That's simply not enough to operate and maintain the firstclass park system our county needs to create the environment we want. With your help, we can make it happen.
