Burlington Parks & Recreation Endowed Fund
Mission: The mission for the Burlington Parks and Recreation Endowment Fund is to provide long-term financial stability to enhance and sustain the municipal parks system and recreational opportunities within the City of Burlington.
Community Parks and Recreation Spaces have three values that make them essential services to communities:
1. Social importance
2. Health and Environmental benefits
3. Economic value
Parks improve the local tax base and increase property values. It has been proven that private property values increase the closer the property is located to parks or recreation space. This increase in property increases property tax revenues and improves local economies. Park and recreation programs generate revenue directly (shelter rentals, entrance fees, etc), but more importantly, provide significant indirect revenues from sports tournaments and special events such as arts, music, and holiday festivals.
Parks and protected public lands are proven to improve water quality, protect groundwater, prevent flooding, improve the quality of the air we breathe. They provide vegetative buffers to development, produce habitat for wildlife, and provide a place for children and families to connect with nature and recreate outdoors together.
Parks are a tangible reflection of the quality of life in a community. They provide identity for citizens and are a major factor in the perception of quality of life in a given community. Parks and recreation services are often cited as one of the most important factors in surveys of how livable communities are. Parks provide places for health and well-being that are accessible by persons of all ages and abilities, especially to those with disabilities. Access to parks and recreation opportunities has been strongly linked to reductions in crime and to reduced juvenile delinquency.