Battle Shaping Up Over Santa Clara County Parks Funding

SANTA CLARA (KCBS)—The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors was set to decide Tuesday on how to invest in its parks as neighborhood groups and open-space advocates argue over millions in parks funding.

While the board chambers are not usually so active over park issues, it will be filled Tuesday with people with very different ideas on where the $75 million in park fund trust money should be focused.

KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:

"Even though parks are a happy thing—a warm and fuzzy thing—it's also something that people are very passionate about," Supervisor David Cortese said. "And people are very passionate when there is $75 million on the table in terms of how it's going to be invested."

Supervisor David Shirakawa Jr. is trying to access money from the fund that was meant to pay for regional county parks and trails in order to create smaller parks in underserved neighborhoods in urban areas. His attempt has been a controversial one.

Some, like Cortese think that the monies should continue to be directed toward large rural open-space and acquisitions and developments.

The fund comes from a 40-year-old voter approved measure and open-space supporters say that smaller neighborhood parks should be the responsibility of the cities.

"I think when people voted for the measure, that's what they had it mind. They saw it as a green foothills initiative." Cortese said.

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