City parks budget staff told the advisory board that a citywide directive to find roughly 5% in expense reductions has forced Parks & Recreation to identify significant cuts and to revise capital project timing. Jackson Haidt, budget staff, said the department submitted a 2026 budget with base cost increases at about $51.6 million total (roughly $36.4 million operating and $15.1 million capital) but is preparing targeted reductions that could total up to $4 million.

Director Ali and Deputy Director Scott Schuttenberger explained the operational context. “City decided to reduce expenses and asked every department to cut back on expenses here in 2025 by about 5%, which for our department equates to a little over $2,000,000,” Scott said at the meeting. Ali described five draft budget scenarios the department has prepared and urged public conversation about long‑term priorities: “Because of the long term financial strategy and the work that city council has prioritized, we are perfectly poised to have the conversation with the community about the level of service they want and the level of service they're willing to pay for.”

Staff described immediate fiscal and staffing constraints: a hiring freeze, two vacancies on the planning team (with recruitment approved), and at least three vacancies in park operations that create risk during the high‑season irrigation and snow‑removal windows. A parks operations manager warned that staffing shortages could make the system less responsive to irrigation failures and reduce redundancy for snow removal in winter.

On capital planning, staff said much 2026 capital will be carried forward from unspent 2025 allocations and that the department intends to prioritize finishing existing projects before adding new ones. Jackson noted that the department typically spends $5.8–$6.6 million per year on CIP but is proposing a smaller ask for 2026 while it spends down carryover funds; staff also highlighted significant cost escalation in construction and equipment since 2019.

Board members asked what the numbers mean for local services and were told staff will return with revised slides for the city manager’s study session and that the city manager’s recommended budget is scheduled for release Aug. 29, with council hearings and votes in September–October. Staff reiterated that reductions will focus on vacancies, non‑personnel materials and equipment, and deferral of capital projects that lack staffing or funding to proceed.