In November 2027, a referendum will be on the ballot giving voters the opportunity to create a dedicated source of funding for the capital needs of Louisville Metro’s public parks and community centers.

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95%
of Louisville
households
visit parks

86%
want public
park spending
to increase

$177

MILLION

Current estimated cost of park deferred maintenance

$5 to $7

economic
return for every
$1 of capital invested in public parks

The Capital Funding Gap

Louisville has been called a City of Parks, and for good reason. Louisville Metro government operates more than 120 parks and 14 community centers. They are the heartbeat of our community — spaces where people of all ages recreate, recharge, and connect. In fact, Louisville park visits totaled 9.2 million in 2025.

Yet our public park system has faced decades of underfunding. Louisville Metro government spends an average of just $53 per person annually on our public parks, compared to peer cities that spend about $150 per resident. As a result of chronic underfunding, more than half of Louisville’s parks are in “poor” or “fair” condition. Sixteen parks have had no capital improvements in more than 20 years.

The lack of investment is reflected in the 2026 Trust for Public Land ParkScore™ which ranks Louisville a dismal 95th out of the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. for the quality of our public parks. In comparison, Cincinnati ranks 5th and Lexington 67th.

Our parks are cherished but neglected — and our community deserves better.

significant capital required

Maintaining our parks requires considerable and consistent investment. Louisville Metro’s Parks and Recreation Department estimates a staggering $177 million is currently needed just for deferred maintenance — essential repairs and upkeep that are delayed due to lack of funding. Despite increased capital investment in the last few years, we will never address the on-going capital dilemma without a dedicated source of funding.

A Community-Driven Solution

Louisville voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to create a dedicated source of funding for the capital needs of our public park system this November. If approved, it will generate $18 million annually through a 0.0225% annual assessment on real property—around $1 per week for the average homeowner—without new debt. These protected funds will transform parks citywide: repairing our playgrounds and pedestrian paths, modernizing community centers, and ensuring safe, accessible green spaces to serve people in every neighborhood. Here is the language that will appear on the ballot.

can tihs succeed?

Lexington residents passed an identical Park Fund measure in 2024 with 61% of the vote. Voters in communities across the country have done the same — through 2024, 23 public space ballot measures supported by the Trust for Public Land were approved, generating over $16 billion in red and blue states alike. And recent polling of likely voters in Jefferson County found very strong support, with 60% saying they would vote “yes” for a park funding referendum.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The enabling legislation (KRS 97.590) for this referendum is written to support parks. All revenue collected must be held in a separate, designated "Park Fund" and can only be spent on capital projects for parks — it cannot be redirected to other government uses.

Park use is soaring

The parks operated by Louisville's Parks & Recreation Department are a top destination for people of all ages. Placer.ai, a tool that uses anonymized cell phone data to track park usage, found that in 2025 alone, our metro parks logged more than 9.4 million visits.

2025 Louisville Metro Parks Visit Report.png

What would I pay?

The proposed “Park Fund” would be financed by the annual levy of two and one-quarter cents ($0.0225) per $100 on all taxable real property. To see what that would mean for you, enter the value of your property in this calculator: