Salt Lake City officials seek $2.7 million for public-lands operations, expand park security and restrooms

Salt Lake City’s Department of Public Lands presented a proposed FY26 budget increase of about $2.7 million to the City Council on May 1, asking for funding to address rising utility costs, deferred maintenance and expanded park services across the city.

The budget request would raise the department’s overall FY26 spending — excluding the golf enterprise fund — by roughly 13 percent over FY25, staff said, with capital investments and higher utility charges cited as the main drivers. Kim Shelley, director of the Department of Public Lands, told the council that “52% of our FTEs are within our park operations” and that the department manages 429 water meters (not including golf), each billed under different rate schedules.

Why it matters: council members repeatedly pressed staff about water conservation, deferred maintenance backlogs and how park security and ranger duties are measured. The requests affect how the city maintains park restrooms, irrigates turf and staffs seasonal operations that support events and routine upkeep.

Public-lands priorities and specifics Staff said one of the largest single inflationary requests is ongoing funding of $950,091 to help maintain and irrigate public spaces and to support an ongoing…