Due to declining revenues, Milwaukee County Parks (MCP) has been forced to make severe cuts to staffing and programming for more than thirty years. Today, each MCP employee is responsible for managing around 31 Lambeau Fields worth of land. The outcome of this fiscal crisis is that there is significant critical deferred maintenance across our park system.
In some parks in more affluent neighborhoods, neighbors have been able to contribute to take care of necessary deferred maintenance. In neighborhoods with less resources, this has not been the case. This trend negatively affects parks in areas that have seen disinvestment, perpetuating socioeconomic and racial disparities.
investments needed
MPF is seeking philanthropic funding to further invest in physical infrastructure (seeds) in parks in high need areas such as: Tiefenthaler Park, Walker Square Park, Mitchell Park, Carver and Beckum Parks, Wilson Park, Smith Park, etc.
Priorities:
Lighting upgrades:
MCP has more than 5,100 light poles throughout the park system. With many lights not functional, parks are dark and neighbors report increased unwanted activities that leave our parks feeling unsafe. If our parks are to be safe and active, lighting upgrades and repairs are sorely needed.
Wading pool conversions to splash pads:
Wading pools require significant resources to maintain and operate. Converting them into splash pads meets the needs of neighbors and contributes to a more financially sustainable park system. MCP currently has 30 wading pools, many of which are inoperable.
Pathway repair and maintenance:
MCP is home to more than 125 miles of trail, which doesn’t even include some of the smaller prominent pathways in neighborhood parks. Many of these pathways are cracked, buckling or the pavement has worn away. This makes parks inaccessible and unsafe, especially for neighbors with limited mobility.
support needed
MPF Investment Goal 2025-2026
$1,078,000
Investment Examples:
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$100,000 is the cost to update one small park’s lighting grid
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$300,000 is the cost to update one large park’s lighting grid
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$600,000 is the approximate cost to convert one wading pool to a splash pad
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$100,000 is the cost to repair pathways in a small park
Additional financial information can be provided upon request. Please note: until a project is underway it is impossible to know the real costs, our best estimates are provided here.