First Survey is Complete

PROS Consulting has completed the initial stakeholder interviews, data requests, preliminary site visits, facility assessments, and a statistically valid survey. The survey was hosted by the ETC Institute, which was mailed directly to pre-selected residents with a minimum number of valid responses required to ensure that results accurately reflect the entire population of our region. Additionally, staff from the Cities and County also chose to launch a supplemental community survey giving all residents an opportunity to participate in the survey. This version of the survey was fully accessible and available in Spanish. 

The feedback received from elected officials and stakeholders is that there is a strong potential value in a regional park district but that support for a ballot initiative depends on credible, transparent communication that demonstrates tangible, jurisdiction-specific benefits.

The PROS Consulting team has provided a draft Levels of Service analysis which is being reviewed and verified by each jurisdiction. Additionally, PROS Consulting is working to analyze the feedback received through the surveys. PROS Consulting presented the findings and the status of the Service Plan at a concurrent meeting with all the jurisdiction’s Recreation and Parks boards on April 30, 2026. 

Survey: Highlighted Results

  • 94% say parks are important to their quality of life.
  • There are 43.5M park visits per year combined
  • The most-used amenity was paved trails, natural trails, and trailheads
  • Customers regularly use facilities across all three jurisdictions
    • Washoe County parks were used by about 80% of respondents
  • 78% of respondents believe parks services are NOT consistent across neighborhoods.
  • 72% of respondents are "Very Supportive" or "Supportive"
  • 63% of respondends would be comfortable with an additional $49 per household per year
  • The value proposition of a District are seen as
    • Save money by reducing overlap between agencies (71%)
    • Create a fair countywide system with equal access (64%)
    • Plan and maintain parks more efficiently (64%)
    • Improve maintenance and upgrades for older parks (62%)
    • Use tax dollars more effectively (59%)
    • Improve trail connections across the region (49%)