Burlington cuts parks and waterfront staff, trims events and programs amid FY26 budget tightening

The Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Department announced staff reductions and program cuts tied to the FY26 budget as leaders and residents raised concerns about the effects on events, summer services and longtime employees.

City officials said the department will move from 65 full-time and five part-time positions pre-layoffs to 59 full-time and three part-time positions after a reduction in force. Department interim director Derek Roche said the cuts will reduce the number of events offered and the department’s external rentals, and will end some leased space and the operation of an adult center.

Why it matters: Parks and waterfront operations generate revenue and public programs used citywide. Reductions to staffing and event capacity can reduce services residents expect in summer months, potentially lowering rental income and changing how the city delivers recreation and waterfront programming.

Roche told the Board of Finance that the department expects $5 million in revenue in FY24-level activity but cautioned those projections could decline if visitor traffic falls. He said reductions were needed to level-fund the budget after one-time support and rising costs. “We took significant hits with reductions,” Roche said. He urged patience while staff reassignments and operational transitions proceed and said the mayor’s office and Clerk Treasurer’s Office have been assisting with financial processes.

Resident reactions and program impacts Maggie Lubbers, a former Burlington recreation superintendent, addressed the meeting during public forum, arguing the cuts eliminated experienced staff and harmed mentorship and institutional knowledge. “I am astonished at how colleagues I’ve worked with…were eliminated with no warning, ordered to pack up their personal belongings, and escorted out of the building,” Lubbers said. She named three longtime employees and said the actions were “demeaning” and would affect the workers long-term.

Roche said the department would try to cover critical summer events — including July 3 fireworks traffic management — by reassigning existing staff and coordinating with the police department and volunteers. He said some events and rentals will continue but that responses may take longer and some offerings, particularly adult programs and external rentals, will be reduced in scope or frequency.

How reductions were implemented and next steps Roche described a transition plan that includes cataloging work tasks, reassigning essential functions, and engaging staff in redesigning reporting structures. He said Champlain Housing Trust has contacted the city about taking over the community center lease the city plans to end on Sept. 30. He also said the department will pursue reclassification where staff take on higher-level tasks and may be moved through formal HR processes to recognize expanded duties.

What the department will not do and uncertainties Officials said services considered nonessential were targeted for reduction and that the department is ending some leases and the on-site adult center. Roche noted the department still must meet many fixed costs (utilities, maintenance) and that lost event revenue makes hitting budget targets harder.

Ending note Officials said they will continue meetings with staff and the mayor’s office to refine the transition, and urged councilors and the public to direct specific questions to the department for written follow-up. Community members and councilors asked the department to prioritize swimming and summer meal programs and to return with more detail on which events and services will be curtailed and how that will affect residents’ access to programming this summer.