Selected Local Park and Recreation Financial Indicators in the First Half of the 1980s: A Challenge to Conventional Wisdom

Authors

  • Ronald E. McCarville
  • John L. Crompton

Keywords:

Local government, finance, self-generated revenue.

Abstract

Since the passage of Proposition 13 in California, conventional wisdom has assumed that revenue generated through the local tax base for park and recreation departments would decline. Increased implementation of user fees and other sources of self-generated revenue are frequently advocated to replace anticipated shrinking tax revenues. A review of national census data indicates that although self-generated revenues have increased, allocations of locally-generated tax dollars have not declined. Moreover, neither the proportion of local government expenditures allocated to parks and recreation nor the number of people employed in the field have declined substantially.

Published

1988-07-04

Issue

Section

Regular Papers