Support King County Parks this August!
By Kelly Jiang, IATC Board President
In August 2025, King County’s parks are on the ballot! Since 2003, King County Parks have been funded through a levy that’s approved by the voters every six years. The levy pays for improvements, maintenance, and operations for King County’s regional parks. King County Parks manages more than 200 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, 215 miles of backcountry trails, and more than 32,000 acres of open space. This includes Grand Ridge Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park right here in the Issaquah Alps.
Of the $1.5 billion expected to be raised by the levy over the next six (6) years, there are $119MM for local parks (cities, towns, and park districts); $144MM in grants and community partnerships; and $175MM in climate resilience, conservation, and stewardship, including King County’s Open Space Acquisition/Land Conservation fund. This funding is critical to some of the recent conservation wins we’ve had in the Issaquah Alps, including 50 acres conserved on Cougar Mountain in 2024.
The new levy would be $0.2329 per $1,000 in assessed property value per year, which would cost the owner of a median-valued home about $196 per year.
You can learn more about the King County Parks Levy on King County’s website.
IATC strongly encourages our supporters to vote YES on the King County Parks Levy to ensure the Issaquah Alps, and all of our regional parks in King County, can thrive. Make sure to vote in the primary election this August!
Important Dates
Friday, July 18, 2025 is the deadline for ballots to be mailed out to voters.
Monday, July 28, 2025 is the deadline to register to vote or update your voter registration address online.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 is Primary Election Day. This means the deadline to submit your ballot is 8pm on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. Ballots must also be postmarked by that date, so if you choose to vote by mail, make sure to put your ballot in the mail by that morning.
For more information on how to vote in the primary election, check out this helpful resource from the Washington Secretary of State.