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Springfield parks budget held to 1% cut; city highlights summer jobs, CPA projects and pools opening
Summary
City council held the parks department budget to an approximate 1% reduction while adding 1 FTE; members and staff said the cuts are largely contained in water and sewer accounts and cited ongoing summer job programs, CPA-funded park projects and a July 1 pool opening.
The Springfield City Council’s Committee of the Whole on May 21 approved discussion of the parks department budget, which shows a 1% overall reduction and the addition of one full-time equivalent position.
Tom Ash, parks director, told counselors the department’s proposed budget of $12,723,776 “represents a cut of just over 1%,” and said, “the cut isn't gonna drastically affect our services or our parks or golf courses.” He said most of the reduction is absorbed in the department’s water and sewer account — roughly $200,000 — and that staff worked with capital and finance to limit service impacts.
Councilors pressed staff on program details. Councilor Delgado praised renovations and asked about youth summer jobs; Ash said recreation’s summer program includes 52 positions — “teachers, teacher aids, directors, head rec leaders, lifeguards” — and that the work is funded in part by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars and the general fund. Ash said recruitment for those roles is already underway and that the department serves about 87 youth through related programs.
Counselors also asked about revenue for city-run venues. Ash said ice arena operations are projected to produce about $25,000 more this year and that golf operations and the course grill “cover the cost.” He confirmed municipal pools are scheduled to open July 1.
Councilors clarified that Community Preservation Act (CPA) awards — for example, a $60,000 CPA grant mentioned for a bench project at Howard Stern Square — are separate from the parks operating budget and are managed by CPA and the contractor (Royce Construction). Ash said CPA-funded projects move into parks accounts once awarded and accounts are reconciled at project close.
Councilors thanked parks staff and indicated support for the proposed budget, while noting open recruitment needs: Ash reported about four to five open positions on the parks side and said hiring is ongoing.
Less-critical details: Ash and councilors discussed specific sites (Echoes Building, Camp Star, Forest Park arena) and programming. No formal vote was taken during this hearing; the department’s budget will be included in upcoming council budget votes.
