While my daughters often walk to the park just up the street from our house, they say “we’re going to our park.” (It’s actually Reservoir Park.) Most folks have a park within walking distance — their park.

But how do we take care of our parks? As the City Council has prioritized public safety during the economic downturn, parks have taken the brunt of the impact. Maintenance has been cut 20 percent, and improvements cut by 38 percent. A broad group of Kirkland citizens, representing neighborhood, business, education, sports and civic interests, came up with the parks levy as the way to protect our parks.

Proposition 2 provides for ongoing maintenance and permanent funding for lifeguards. It provides pay-as-you-go funding for renovations and improvements. It establishes an opportunity fund for parkland in areas that don’t have “their” park. Money can only be spent on parks, and will be reviewed by citizens annually.

Proposition 2 is a great example of citizens working together, building consensus, and finding a solution to preserve our parks now and in the future. I hope you will vote Yes on Proposition 2 for our parks.

Jay Arnold, Kirkland