San Jose city parks have a problem — there’s a huge backlog of needed repairs and insufficient funds to bring them up to standard. One councilmember may have a solution, but it’s going to take time.
District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz is proposing a 2026 ballot measure to fund park maintenance, and has requested the city manager schedule a study session for the City Council to review in January or February. This will give officials an opportunity to examine parks infrastructure needs and the poor condition of facilities in parts of the city, such as the East Side where Ortiz represents. Depending on the findings, it could lead to a citywide ballot measure and possible tax initiative.
“We have an obligation to make sure that it’s not up to somebody’s ZIP code or up to somebody’s income whether or not they have a clean, green and open space,” he told San José Spotlight. “This isn’t just about the ballot measure, it’s also about reviewing the funding, looking at the maintenance backlog, looking at current processes and practices within the (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services) Department that may have resulted in some areas being impacted more than others.”…