Dedicated Funding for Louisville’s Parks

Louisville voters may have the ability to create a dedicated funding source for city parks through a nonpartisan, community-driven effort to place a referendum on the ballot. If approved by voters, these protected funds would support parks serving neighborhoods citywide.

The Capital Funding Gap

Louisville operates more than 120 public parks and 13 community centers across Jefferson County—places residents use for recreation, gathering, and connection. They are the heartbeat of our community — cherished spaces where people of all ages recreate, recharge, and connect. In a 2022 poll of Louisvillians, 95 percent of respondents visited a park within the last year. And park visits have increased steadily, totaling 9.2 million visits in 2025 alone.

Yet our public park system has faced decades of underfunding. A recent condition assessment found more than half of Louisville's parks are in poor or fair condition, with an estimated $177 million in deferred maintenance. Sixteen parks have seen no investment in more than 20 years.

Peer-city comparisons show average annual parks spending of about $150 per resident, compared with Louisville’s roughly $ 53 per resident. The 2026 Trust for Public Land ParkScore™ ranks Louisville 95th among the 100 most populous U.S. cities based on a combination of park size, access, investment, amenities, and equity. In comparison, Cincinnati ranks 5th and Lexington 67th.

The proposed solution

The For Parks Education Fund, an independent, nonpartisan coalition, has proposed the creation of a dedicated “Park Fund” for the improvement and development of Louisville’s public parks, recreational facilities, and other park amenities. If approved by voters, it would be financed by the levy of an additional two and one-quarter cents ($0.0225) per $100 on all taxable real property. For the average homeowner, this equates to about $1 per week. Lexington passed the identical ballot measure in 2024, with support from 61% of voters.

The language of the proposed ballot measure for Louisville can be found here.

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Ballot Referendum Outcomes and Accountability

POTENTIAL OUTCOMES

If the referendum is on the ballot and approved by voters, it could generate as much as $18 million annually for parks capital projects. If it is not approved, park capital funding would continue to vary year to year.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Per state law, a dedicated park fund created by this referendum can only be used for parks (KRS 97.590). All revenue collected must be held in a separate, designated fund that can only be spent on capital projects (including preventive maintenance) for parks — it cannot be redirected to other government uses.
All expenditures would be subject to full public disclosure.

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.

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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:

the economic case for investment

Every public dollar in the proposed capital levy will generate substantial regional economic activity through construction spending, local purchasing, and related economic effects, while also delivering long-term public benefits associated with improved park access, health, quality of life, climate resilience, and community vitality.

If approved by voters, the estimated $270 million invested over 15 years supports $530 million to $880 million in regional economic activity. When residential property appreciation and public health savings are added, the conservative long-term public benefit rises to in excess of $1.5 billion, a multiple of roughly 5-to-1 to 7-to-1.