200 E. Santa Clara St., 9th Floor Tower San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 793-5553 fax (408) 292-6299 RE: Proposed PRNS Budget Cuts
Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers,
Our commission is excited and passionate about our work for our fellow residents. We believe that access to safe open space is a basic right, and the benefits of improved health and community wellness are measurable. Our commission takes EQUITY seriously, and San José is at a critical point where we must ensure the representation and health of our most vulnerable communities, particularly since many neighborhoods were overlooked, and underfunded, for many decades.
We would like to express to you that we, as the San José Parks and Recreation Commission are not in support of the proposed budget cuts to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services. It is important to ensure that our most vulnerable community members can continue to feel safe in their local parks, which are best when they are full of joyful children in bouncy castles and chasing bubbles blown by the outstanding PRNS staff.
We want to emphasize that it’s unacceptable that PRNS be the only department with proposed cuts to core programs and services. Every other department is absorbing budget cuts merely by eliminating vacant positions. Cutting core programs which serve our youth in our most vulnerable areas is impermissible. Similarly, reducing the frequency of Viva Calle – which is easily PRNS’ most popular and well-attended activation – is particularly cruel and painful.
We ask you the PLEASE find a different source of funding cuts to achieve your budget reallocation. Do not approve cuts to PRNS’ Placemaking activities, and do not cut Viva Parks and Viva Calle.
In Community,
Commissioner Daphna
Woolfe
Representative for District 1
Commissioner Daisy Barocio
Representative for District 5
Commissioner Kent
Campbell
Representative for District 8
Commissioner Andre
Morrow
Representative for District 2
Commissioner Kelly Snider
Chair, Representative for
District 6
Commissioner Janny Choy
Representative for District 9
Commissioner Lawrence
Ames
Vice-Chair, Representative
for District 3
Commissioner Giavanna
Vega
Representative for District 7
Commissioner Jose Villarreal
City wide Representative
Parks and Recreation Commission