A new Seattle Parks Foundation report concludes that the city's parks can't be maintained at its current level without new funding sources.

"In summary," the report says, the parks department

now faces a $25 million shortfall in the annual cost of operating and maintaining the existing parks system. In addition, the Department has a backlog of major maintenance projects, such as roof replacements, seismic upgrades and forest restoration, that already exceeds $200 million. The Department has increased its reliance on user fees, commercial and nonprofit partnerships, and volunteers to meet the demands of an ever growing system.

The report identifies a number of potential solutions to the funding crisis, including:

• Adjusting the fees the city charges to use parks facilities and expanding the commercial presence in parks;

• Advocating for more general-fund support (since 1968, the portion of Parks' budget that comes from the city's general fund has decreased from 50 percent to 35 percent);

• Creating special taxing areas where people who benefit from parks help pay for them;

• Asking voters for operations funding through a special levy; and

• Creating a new parks district whose revenues would be dedicated exclusively to parks.

In the latest budget cycle, the parks department lost 2 percent of the money it gets from the city's general fund, forcing the department to close 10 wading pools and cut hours at 10 others; reduce maintenance and office staff; and close or limit hours at community centers.

The ongoing shortfall is thanks, in large part, to the fact that a parks levy voters approved in 2008 did not include any funding for operating and maintaining parks. Levy funding for operations and maintenance ran out that year, creating an ongoing systemic funding gap. The inevitable shortfall was the main reason former mayor Greg Nickels opposed the levy, which now-Mayor Mike McGinn supported and campaigned for.