Measure Z Supporters Hitting It Hard To Save Wildomar Parks

9/27 UPDATED at 5:46 p.m.: As Election Day nears, so does the fate of Wildomar’s three parks.

On the Nov. 6 ballot is a voter initiative called Measure Z. It asks Wildomar voters to decide whether they want to pay an annual $28 special tax to fund their city parks. If the measure does not pass by a two-third's majority, the city contends there is not enough money in its budget to keep its parks open.

In 2011, a similar initiative -- Measure D -- was put to voters but failed to pass. As a result, Windsong and Heritage parks have closed, and city officials warn Marna O’Brien faces the same fate.

Wildomar City Councilwoman Bridgette Moore has been a strong supporter of her city’s parks. She was handing out Yes On Measure Z flyers earlier this week at Marna O’Brien Park.

“Every person I spoke with did NOT know about Measure Z, but after we talked they ” Moore wrote in an email.

Moore said Friends For Wildomar Parks, a nonprofit group, has worked hard to raise funding and awareness of the parks’ plight. Now Citizens for Wildomar Parks, which is promoting Measure Z, needs more volunteers who are willing to rally citizens in support of the ballot initiative.

To help raise awareness, Moore is also encouraging Wildomar residents to write letters to local news editors in support of Measure Z. (Patch publishes Letters to the Editor and welcomes bloggers. Submit to toni.mcallister@patch.com.)

Additionally, Citizens for Wildomar Parks will host a grassroots event at Marna O’Brien on Sept. 30, from 3 to 7 p.m. The public is invited to join in to help make signs and decorate your own t-shirts in support of Measure Z. Friends for Wildomar Parks will host the snack bar, which will serve up a tasty taco plate. Measure Z yard signs and iron-on decals will also be sold at the event. Monies raised at the snack bar are going toward the park’s maintenance, including paying the water and electricity bill, said John Llyod, who spearheads Citizens for Wildomar Parks.

For more information about joining the Yes on Measure Z effort, call 951.444.8375 or email C4WParks@gmail.com.

Editor's Note: The event is no longer featuring a community Yard Sale.