Ottawa County voters have signed off on a bigger tax bill to fund their parks, approving a 0.20-mill increase on Nov. 3 that pushes the county's combined Parks & Open Space Millage to 0.53 mills for 2027 through 2036. The additional levy is earmarked for trail connections, natural resource protection, park improvements and nature education across the county's park system.
Unofficial results with all precincts reporting showed the measure passing 81,724 to 65,902, according to MLive. For a homeowner with a taxable value of $200,000, the increase is expected to add about $40 a year to their tax bill, per the same outlet's reporting. That's on top of the existing 0.33-mill levy, which voters renewed and restored in August and which, according to Ottawa County, primarily supports the day-to-day operation and maintenance of county parks.
County officials have framed the new money as filling a gap the old millage can't cover. The Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission said rising operational and maintenance costs fully consume current revenue from the existing millage, as reported by The Holland Sentinel. If levied in full, the additional 0.20 mills is estimated to generate $3,763,230 in 2027, the first year it's collected.
Restrooms, Trails and Land Purchases on the List
Among the projects the county has outlined are new accessible, year-round restrooms at six park properties: Riley Trails, Paw Paw Park, Bend Area, Rosy Mound, Eastmanville Farm and Grand Ravines, according to the county. Ottawa County has also identified additional trail connections and water access as potential projects, and as reported by FOX 17 West Michigan News, funding could also support snow removal from certain regional trails during winter months.
The county's plans extend to recreation amenities beyond restrooms and trails. Nature playscapes are planned for Paw Paw Park and Hemlock Crossing, per a county bulletin distributed through GovDelivery, alongside improvements to the Grand Ravines Dog Park and future work at Bend Area. The proposal also sets aside $3 million for possible additional property purchases, particularly land that would expand areas the county already owns.
Conservation and Education Also in the Mix
Beyond physical infrastructure, the additional millage revenue could support wetland and forest restoration, invasive-species control, and responses to flooding and wildfire risks, according to FOX 17's reporting. The county has also identified nature education facilities and gathering areas for school field trips, public programs and other visitors, with potential locations including Bend Area, Upper Macatawa and Eastmanville Farm.
County officials say the vision wasn't built in a vacuum. Since 2020, more than 10,000 residents have identified trail connections, natural resource protection, improved access and year-round recreation as top priorities, according to the county's millage materials. That community feedback helped shape the November proposal's focus on trail connections, year-round recreational access and conservation projects, and officials have pointed to a growing population and an aging park system as reasons maintenance and infrastructure-replacement needs keep climbing.
Park Township Also Expands Its Own Levy
Ottawa County wasn't alone on the ballot. Park Township voters approved a separate parks and recreation millage, restoring and increasing the levy to 0.7 mills for four years, 2027 through 2030, according to The Holland Sentinel. That levy is estimated to raise $1,006,720 in 2027, a smaller but parallel bet on local parks funding elsewhere in the county.
With the combined 0.53-mill county rate now locked in for a decade, the county's project list ranges from restroom construction to potential land purchases near existing parkland.
