OPINION: ‘Yes’ on tax to support Sonoma County parks

Imagine setting off into the grassy hills from Tolay Lake near Petaluma, stopping along a wooded ridge after a long day of hiking, and setting up camp under the stars. Or, jumping on a bike and pedaling the 11 miles from Petaluma to Sebastopol past apple orchards and farm houses.

With a dedicated funding source for Sonoma County Regional Parks, these outdoor adventures could soon be a reality.

The Sonoma County Regional Parks system is a wonderful community benefit with 56 parks and trails providing recreational opportunities from Sonoma Coast beaches to oak-dotted ridgeline hiking trails to paved bike paths linking urban centers.

As fabulous as the county’s park network is, it could be even better.

Voters in the unincorporated county this November are being asked to approve a temporary half-cent sales tax increase that would provide a dedicated funding source to make a truly world-class park system. The modest tax increase is worth supporting.

Officials estimate that the tax will generate $95 million over its 10-year term, revenue that will go toward building new parks and enhancing existing ones, including Tolay Lake and Helen Putnam regional parks. The increase will only apply to transactions outside of city limits, with the biggest potential impact on the wine industry. Besides the businesses in Penngrove, there are very few Petaluma-area business establishments that would be affected by the tax.

The increase would bring the sales tax rate in the unincorporated area to 8.75 percent, which is on par with most of the cities in the county.

While the tax impact in Petaluma is minimal, the measure would provide a huge benefit to local parks. According to the spending plan, Helen Putnam would be expanded, its trails renovated and woodlands enhanced. The park would also get improved fishing access and a family picnic area.

At Tolay Lake Regional Park, a potential crown jewel of the countywide system that is slated to fully open to the public next year, improvements include new hiking trails, restrooms, an interpretative center and backcountry camping facilities. Crane Creek Regional Park would receive new picnic areas and resurfaced trails as well as an expansion of the park with trails to Sonoma State University.

The measure would also fund the Petaluma-Sebastopol Trail, a proposed 11-mile bike path between the two communities along a former railroad right of way. It would also help construct Sonoma County’s portion of the San Francisco Bay Trail, linking Petaluma, Port Sonoma, Skaggs Island and Sonoma, and improve access for boaters and kayakers on the Petaluma River as part of the San Francisco Bay Water Trail.

The ballot measure is worded such that even opponents of taxes will find little to challenge. As a special tax, the Board of Supervisors cannot touch the revenue for anything other than parks. And the supervisors are required to continue the current general fund spending on parks - the general fund makes up just 18 percent of the parks department budget - meaning officials can’t use the tax as a way to move money into other unfunded priorities like pensions.

Most other Bay Area counties have dedicated park funding. In the East Bay, Contra Costa and Alameda counties are part of a special district with a parcel tax for the East Bay Regional Park system. This network includes 65 parks spanning the Oakland Hills, Sunol Valley and several lakes and reservoirs.

We can only imagine what a $95 million boost could do for Sonoma County parks. Hopefully, we will be able to see first hand, but it depends on voters. Special taxes like this require two-thirds voter support.

We encourage rural voters to support this tax measure to ensure a funding source so that we can have a truly world class regional park system that our children and grandchildren can enjoy long into the future.