Background Vashon Park District was created by the Islanders of Vashon and Maury Island in 1983 to provide park and recreational opportunities to complement our island lifestyle. The District is funded through a property tax levy approved every four years by Islanders' vote. The mission and goal of the Park District is overseen by a board of five locally elected Islander commissioners, who serve four-year terms to guide the community agency.
In 1996, King County gave the Park District properties on Vashon and Maury Island that had been county parks. Today, Vashon Park District supports 18 Island parks and programming that serves the entire community.
The Park District works closely with several volunteer stewardship groups who oversee the use, development, and planning for each park. To learn more about becoming a Steward of your favorite park contact Vashon Park District office located at Ober Park.
email or call 206-463-9602.
Mission Statement (revised September, 2020) The mission of the Vashon Park District is to equitably provide public access to the District’s parks, facilities and recreational programs to all Island residents and visitors; to continuously improve our facilities and programs through inclusionary planning processes; and to responsibly acquire and maintain our assets according to appropriately defined standards and policies, so our park users will be provided with exceptional opportunities to improve the quality of their lives.
Vision Statement (revised September, 2020) By 2024 the Vashon-Maury Island Park and Recreation District will:
offer a wide range of programs and services that serve the interests and needs of all islanders;
provide equitable access to all the Park District’s fields, parks and facilities so that citizens of all financial means and physical abilities can fully participate;
provide beautifully maintained fields, parks and facilities that offer opportunities for relaxation, health and fitness for islanders, guests and visitors, while being a source of pride for all Vashon citizens;
be recognized for its outstanding professionalism and performance, which will ensure that it will continue to attract competent and dedicated staff, fully engaged board members and a core of enthusiastic volunteers and supporters in the community;
be financially strong, with up-to-date systems in place that provide accuracy, accountability and transparency; and with a reliable source of public and private funding for maintenance, operation and capital improvement projects;
be actively collaborating with other agencies and entities in the community to ensure that the island’s citizens are being exceptionally served;
assure that the diversity of our island residents is considered when developing our programs and services and all segments of the population are included in their formulation.
Values (revised September, 2020)
Commitment to Safety and Excellence: We are committed to the health and well-being of all of our park users and are dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment. We will strive to exceed expectations in maintaining and preserving all our parks and facilities to the highest quality standards of safety, function, and beauty.
Integrity: We believe that acting with integrity is the foundation for everything we do, and that maintaining public trust is paramount. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: We recognize and understand that diversity in the community brings great richness to the quality of life on our island. We are committed to expanding our awareness of and sensitivity to the importance of diversity by creating an inclusive and welcoming parks system for all our residents and visitors to enjoy. We invite the voices and perspectives of all stakeholders to help us build and continuously improve a strong district that serves everyone equally. We are committed to the creation of policies and practices that further the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Accessibility: We consistently treat the public with respect and dignity. We are sensitive to the needs of all our residents and visitors and strive to make sure that all feel welcome in our parks, facilities and programs. We are committed to making provisions for residents and visitors of all financial means and physical abilities so that they can equitably enjoy all that Vashon Park District provides.
Accountability: We hold ourselves accountable for our behaviors, actions and results. We take responsibility for our performance (including fiscal responsibility) and are willing to admit and learn from our mistakes.
Commitment to Community Service: We consider the community to be our customer. Our goal is to provide high quality and excellent value to park and recreational programs that exceed our customers’ expectations. We are committed to being highly responsive to the changing needs within our community.
Transparency: We are committed to open information disclosure, clarity, and accuracy and believe our communication, decision making, and reports should be available and observable to our community.
Work for the common good: We are committed to making decisions that work for the advantage and benefit of the community as a whole versus individual needs, agendas, and interests.
Teamwork/Partnership: Our success depends on our ability to partner and perform well with others. We understand the strength of professional relationships, cooperation, collaboration, and camaraderie with other community organizations. We are committed to actively supporting our community partners on initiatives that promote structural change in the areas of social, economic, educational and criminal justice.
Stewardship and Sustainability: We acknowledge our responsibility toward being guardians of the community’s resources and prudent fiscal managers. We are committed to managing community assets wisely and working to build and preserve a sustainable Park District. We consider the various tradeoffs between short-term gain for the longer-term care, protection, and preservation of resources.
Innovation and Continuous Improvement: We encourage new ideas to improve the Park District’s effectiveness. We value input that challenges our current ways of doing business in order to better deliver our programs and services. We are committed to learning from other park districts’ best practices.
Professional Development: The provision of superior service to the community requires the attraction and continuous development of dedicated, highly motivated, and competent staff.