Springdale adopts FY2025‑26 budget, directs parks to fund six‑month seasonal hire

The Springdale Town Council adopted the fiscal year 2025‑26 budget at its June 11 meeting and gave specific direction to the parks department to add a six‑month part‑time seasonal position to address peak‑season needs.

Town staff presented a balanced general fund budget of $6,371,037 and an expanded staff report on revenue and departmental changes. Staff noted revenues are dominated by local sales, resort and transient‑lodging taxes; property tax revenue was described as a small share of the total. The draft budget included previously approved items and a modest carryover for the downtown plaza project.

Councilmembers debated personnel priorities and the timing of hires. Councilmember Jack Burns argued for prioritizing staff capacity over additional programming: “people before things,” he said, stressing the Parks department’s need for backup during busy months and for maintenance of new infrastructure such as the plaza. Parks staff described the seasonal hire as part‑time (20–25 hours per week) for roughly six months to help with summer operations; staff estimated a six‑month cost in the low five‑figures depending on wage and hours.

Councilmember Burns moved to approve Resolution 2025‑06 adopting the final budget for FY2025‑26, directing Parks to fund a six‑month seasonal part‑time position within the Parks operating budget or by adjusting existing program expenditures. Councilmember Pat Campbell seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Council asked Parks staff to refine the budgetary adjustments and report back once hiring options and exact costings are finalized. The council did not change the overall budget totals at adoption; instead it asked staff to absorb the seasonal hire through departmental reallocations or by reducing planned program expenses such as festival funding if necessary.