Portland parks’ future imperiled by poor financial management, city watchdog warns

Portland’s Parks Bureau has no plan to pay for reasonable parks upkeep, even as the bulk of its assets continue to crumble and the agency remains without a long-term solution to cover day-to-day operations, the city’s elected watchdog said Wednesday.

A new report from City Auditor Simone Rede found that Portland Parks & Recreation lacks “a systematic approach” to save or raise enough money to care for all its parks, endangering a beloved city resource.

Rede urged parks and other city leaders to reverse course and commit to better management practices.

“Without clear systemwide goals and fiscal sustainability strategies, Parks’ funding gaps will continue to grow, resulting in less services for Portlanders today, and dangerous conditions tomorrow,” she said in a statement that accomp