San Rafael, CA – Marin County Parks has released an annual report for fiscal year 2014-15 that provides a broad overview of department goals and achievements. It will be presented to the Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 8, and is now online.
The cover of Parks' annual report.
The report covers budgets and expenditures, staff functions, and important projects related to planning, acquisition, maintenance and capital improvements. It features accomplishments made possible by
Measure A, the quarter-cent retail transactions and use tax passed by voters in November 2012.
Parks estimates that more than 6 million people visited its 34 open space preserves and over 70 parks and other facilities during the fiscal year. It accumulated 17,873 volunteer hours and employed 122 full-time and seasonal workers to deliver services to Marin residents and visitors from around the world. The department’s total expenditures were $21.8 million and it awarded $3.4 million in matching funds.
Thanks to Measure A, Marin’s parks, preserves and family farms are being protected and cared for like never before. In the second year since Measure A’s passage, Marin County Parks has increased its capacity to:
- improve and expand visitor services;
- collect scientific data and protect rare plants and wildlife;
- plan and implement widespread improvements to our parks;
- implement road and trail planning and projects;
- acquire new open space land;
- reduce the threat of wildfire through vegetation management;
- reduce park fees, and;
- take on more volunteers.
“Measure A resulted in a renaissance for Marin County Parks,” said Ron Miska, Parks’ recently retired Assistant Director. “It transformed us in ways unparalleled in our history. … We are very much aware of the promises we made to improve our land stewardship and our park facilities should Measure A pass, and we intend to keep those promises.”
The annual report is posted in English and Spanish. Printed copies at the Marin Civic Center and are being distributed to other venues throughout the community. Contact Government and External Affairs Coordinator Kevin Wright at 415-473-2129 or kwright@marincounty.org with questions.