It’s time for the city to support establishing an effective public-private partnership governing Balboa Park. Central Park in New York City is governed by a successful conservancy that raises nearly 80% of its operating budget. About 80% of the park’s staff are employees of the Central Park Conservancy. The park is supported by about 50,000 donors who give unrestricted funds to the park. The conservancy raises money for its endowment and renovations which, when successful, prevent deferred maintenance.
Balboa Park already has the basics in place with an endowment and the Forever Balboa Park nonprofit conservancy. Our mayor and City Council should move forward in empowering a conservancy to be modeled after Central Park’s. Since it has worked well in New York City for decades, it would work for us in San Diego as well.
— James Ziegler, University Heights