PITTSBURGH — People in Pittsburgh are starting to get bills for Pittsburgh’s Parks Tax. It was a controversial issue, but voters approved it in 2019.
Many are questioning if now is the right time for this to go into effect.
“I grew up in a city park’s program. That’s where I learned how to play tennis. That’s where I made friends,” said Leigh Bukowski.
She wants the same for her growing family and that’s why she voted in favor of the tax. It is a $50 tax for every $100,000 of assessed property value.
“Parks are really important to people,” Bukowski said.
Kate Davis Booker and Matthew Hartman bring their kids to Schenley Park.
“We’re going ice skating,” Hartman said.
They both said the parks are an asset to the city.
“I support it 100%. I love our parks,” Davis Booker said.
But times are tough for many people.
“Right now, when nobody’s using the infrastructure they’re being taxed on, it doesn’t make much sense,” Andrew Fu said.
Some are questioning if now is the right time to raise taxes and invest $10 million a year in parks. For so much of the last year, playgrounds and parks were shut down and roped off.
“The timing is just not great,” Luis Martinez said.
The Pittsburgh City Council approved the plan with a 6-3 vote. Several councilmembers were very outspoken on the issue, saying now is a horrible time for this, putting an added burden on families during a global pandemic.
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