Wayne County residents in the Aug. 6 primary election are being asked to renew a millage that funds operations, maintenance and upgrades across the county’s 5,600-acre park system.
If approved, Proposal P, is expected to generate $14.47 million in 2026. The levy for just under a quarter mill, which would cost homeowners with a taxable value of $100,000 $24.42 per year on their winter tax bills.
The millage generated around $10 million in the last fiscal years to fund operations, management, and capital improvements for county parks and recreation sites. Nearly half of the millage is spent on park employees’ salaries and benefits each year, county budget documents show.
A BridgeDetroit analysis of county budget reports found that Detroit taxpayers paid over $2 million into the county’s parks fund in the last fiscal year alone, which is the most tax revenue generated out of all 43 communities in Wayne County.
A status report on millage-funded projects shows $900,000 contributed to the millage by Detroit taxpayers since 2021 has been invested in improvements in at least 15 city-owned parks, putting Detroiters at the top of the list for the most money put in and the most money returned. Some of the parks that have been improved or will be in the future, according to the report, include Johnston, Sasser, Van Antwerp, Eliza Howell, and Voigt parks. In past years, millage funds have aided in upgrades at Perrien and Pingree park, among others.
In Detroit, the millage supports and funded the creation of the Wayne County Family Aquatic Center, a county-owned waterpark located in Detroit’s Chandler Park. The aquatic center is the only waterpark in the city and its amenities include a splash pad, wave pool, two 23-foot slides, food concessions, and more. The park surrounding the aquatic center is owned and managed by Detroit.
The facility is operated by Third Gen Mgt, Inc. through a $4.5 million, 5-year management agreement. The company’s owner, Charles Buck, said the park is busy throughout the summer, even on weekdays as local organizations sponsor and organize special trips for youth. On Saturday, Buck said the pool reached about 70% capacity, or around 1,500 visitors.
According to the county’s annual comprehensive financial report, over 26,000 people visited the park in 2023.
Joshua Edwards, a 21-year old lifeguard, said he started coming to the pool in 7th grade and would like to see more facilities like it.
“It’s just a great atmosphere,” said Edwards, who believes residents should continue to fund the millage. “Everybody comes here to have fun. There doesn’t really be too much drama going on and everyone can have a good time.”
Buck told BridgeDetroit he believes the low cost to access the pool – between $2 and $7 dollars – help ensure residents are able to bring their families to enjoy the park. The cost is especially low compared to public water parks in nearby counties, such as Red Oaks Pool in Oakland County, which charges in-county residents between $18 and $20.
Sylvia Pettway, an east side Detroit resident, was joined by her family at the park Saturday, some of whom were visiting the pool for the first time.
“I love this park,” she said. “I’m very proud of this and I hope they invest more money in it.”
Pettway said her appreciation for the pool stems from Detroiters lack of access to pool facilities in neighboring cities, such as Grosse Pointe.
Around $1.5 million from the millage is returned to local municipalities each year to fund parks.
A minimum of $50,000 or 15% of the tax revenue generated in each county commission district, whichever is greater, is returned for city-owned park projects. The rule was baked into the millage when voters approved its renewal in 2016 after concerns were raised about whether the funds were being distributed fairly. Wealthier communities received a larger sum of cash while areas that have lower property values, such as Detroit and Highland Park, received less.
The Wayne County Parks Division, operating under the Department of Public Services, is responsible for administering the distribution of millage funds and the oversight of parks projects. The process for distributing the funds is outlined in the county’s “implementing ordinance.”
County commissioners find out how much money is available for local park projects before the end of December every year, which is based on the tax collected through the millage, and work with the communities they represent to determine how funds will be distributed across parks in their district. Projects are funded on a reimbursement basis through an intergovernmental agreement between the county and municipalities.
Crystal Perkins, director of the city’s General Services Department, said about 30 city-owned parks are in development or predevelopment with the aid of about $1.5 million from the county. Those improvements include picnic shelters, basketball courts, playgrounds, and more.
The local parks allocation component of the millage is especially important for communities that aren’t home to a county-owned park, according to the county’s interim public works director, Andrew Kandrevas.
“Not everybody is geographically or similarly situated with a Wayne County park in their city or their backyard,” said Kandrevas, adding “even if you’re in a city that isn’t physically close to a Wayne County-managed park, you’re still receiving the benefit of a local park through the millage.”
Kandrevas said residents contact their county commissioner if they are interested in improving a park in their neighborhood. The county’s website allows residents to type in their address to find out who their commissioner is and how to contact them.
Efforts are also underway to connect the city’s park system and the county’s trail system by creating routes between Hines Park and Rouge Park, and a link that extends to the Detroit River. A $16.9 million effort is planned for the Rouge River Gateway Greenway between 2023 and 2026, according to the county’s parks and recreation master plan, some of which will be funded with grant funds.
“There are concept plans to connect all the Detroit parks along the Rouge Greenway, and then to connect the system to Hines Drive,” Perkins said.
Wayne County spends about $7.20 per resident on parks and recreation activities, according to the 5-year parks and recreation master plan, well below the $107 that the average American Parks and Recreation Association organization spends each year.
The county’s parks plan was drafted in 2022 to assess the condition and needs of existing parks and create a funding strategy for improvements in the future. The county considered feedback from 272 park users during the planning process in 2022, including a survey distributed on social media and at least one public hearing. Most of the responses were from residents in Livonia and Northville, while nine were from residents living in a Detroit ZIP code.
Over half of the county’s park system surrounds Hines Drive, a 17-mile stretch of road that runs from Northville to Dearborn Heights just west of Rouge Park with 24 recreation areas scattered throughout the park. In 2022, 30% of the county’s population resided within a 30-minute walk of a county park, and all residents were within a 30-minute drive.
The rest of the county park system includes Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Crosswinds Marsh in New Boston, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton, Inkster Valley Golf Course, as well as many other amenities such as a golf course, canoe and kayak launches, marinas, baseball fields, and more.
Want to know if your neighborhood park was improved with millage funds? Just check the sign. The county requires every municipality to update park signs at its own expense to indicate improvements were “made possible through the Wayne County Parks millage.”