Dozens of groups have rallied in support of the proposal, including the Trust for Public Land, TreePeople, Friends of the Los Angeles River and others. At City Hall, the measure was supported by Rodriguez and several other council members, as well as City Auditor Kenneth Mejía.
Rodriguez and Mejía signed on to the ballot in support of the Charter Amendment PRK, as did Homeboy Industries founder Pastor Gregory Boyle, Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley President and CEO Nicole Chase and several others.
Supporters of the measure say the parks department provides an important safety net for the city’s low-income residents, offering free or low-cost summer camps, sports activities and senior programs.
When temperatures soar, the city’s recreation centers welcome residents without air conditioning. In emergencies, these facilities are converted into shelters from fires, floods, or other disasters.
Tori Kjer, executive director of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, which pushed the measure to get on the ballot, said the department has been underfunded for years despite its varied responsibilities.
“If you talk to a lot of Angelenos and they’re not happy with their local parks, it’s because we’re not giving them the resources they need,” she said.
Kjer said the department never recovered from the 2008 recession, when city leaders cut more than 25% of the workforce, leaving the department with about 1,500 employees last year. The city also began charging the department for water, electricity, trash collection and other city services.