Nearly 150 new trees, five upgraded basketball courts and more than 300,000 square feet of replacement turf are among the first improvements City of Scottsdale officials say were funded by the sales tax voters approved for parks and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in 2024.
The city recently released a breakdown of Parks and Recreation Department work completed during fiscal 2025-26, the first full year of projects funded through Proposition 490.
Scottsdale voters approved the Parks and Preserve Sales Tax in November 2024 to provide dedicated funding for parks, trails and the preserve.
The Scottsdale Parks and Recreation Commission serves as the citizen oversight committee for the portion of the tax allocated to park improvements. The commission reviews priorities and recommends annual budgets and capital projects funded by that allocation.
During the recently completed fiscal year, Scottsdale reported planting nearly 150 trees and pruning more than 700 others.
Crews also installed more than 780 flats of flowers and plants and replaced more than 300,000 square feet of park turf.
Five basketball courts were upgraded, more than 10 park buildings and facilities were repainted and 80 new amenities — including picnic tables, grills and trash receptacles — were installed.
Security cameras also were added at parks.
Larger projects included turf and landscape improvements at Comanche Park and beautification work at the south entrance of Vista del Camino Park.
The city also completed design of a fully accessible playground at Rotary Park. Now under construction, the playground will include additional shade, poured-in-place surfacing and inclusive play equipment.
Proposition 490 money also was used to expand park staffing and equipment.
The department added four positions: a park planner, urban forester and two maintenance workers assigned to parks in the Indian Bend Wash.
It also purchased utility vehicles, aerators, sod cutters and other landscaping equipment.
Another $350,000-plus from the tax was used to repair landscape and facility damage caused by severe storms.
“Scottsdale residents made a long-term investment in the places where families gather, children play and neighbors connect,” City Manager Greg Caton said. “Just one year later, they’re already seeing those improvements take shape in parks across the city, with even more to come.”
The next round of spending is expected to include some larger projects.
For fiscal 2026-27, the Parks and Recreation Commission has recommended design work for major renovations at Agua Linda, Chaparral, Eldorado and Paiute parks, four of the city’s older neighborhood parks.
Plans also call for renovations of aging sports courts, replacement of the south playground at Vista del Camino Park and the water-play structure at Eldorado Aquatic Center.
Other proposed work includes additional tree planting, turf replacement, new park furnishings, expansion of the city’s Urban Forestry program and improvements to irrigation systems and water-efficient landscaping.
Parks and Recreation Senior Director Nick Molinari said the dedicated tax allows the city to address current needs while planning for longer-term improvements.
“Scottsdale’s parks are among our community’s greatest assets, and residents expect them to be beautiful, safe and well maintained,” he said.