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Parks & Recreation budget focuses on millage-funded projects, ADA upgrades and trail work
Summary
Budget staff and Parks & Recreation presented a $11.4 million proposed Parks and Recreation fund driven largely by the recreation millage; planned capital includes Donovan Park ADA bleachers, Delia Dog Park shade structure (partially foundation-funded) and trail/parking repairs.
Jennifer Varney, the city’s budget and finance director, told council that the Parks and Recreation Fund is a special revenue fund with proposed FY25–26 revenues just over $11,000,000. Varney said about half of that revenue — roughly $5.4 million — comes from the recreation millage and the fund also receives a general-fund transfer of about $3.2 million to support non-millage recreation expenditures.
Varney said the proposed parks budget totals approximately $11.4 million, with personnel costs at about $4.8 million and debt service of roughly $3.0 million for bond-backed recreation improvements. She listed proposed capital projects including ADA-compliant bleachers at Donovan Park, a shade structure at Delia Dog Park (partly offset by a grant from the Sterling Heights Community Foundation), replacement of Dodge Park basketball court lights and work on the annual trail replacement plan (North Clinton River) and parking-lot repairs for Farmstead Park.
Parks presentations and trails
Parks staff presented trail work and other park projects. Parks staff said the ITC corridor trail work continues, and Kyle Engler said the Lakeside spur is awaiting agreement with DTE regarding the substation before the spur can be installed. City planning and parks staff said the Red Run and Rotary-area work is in design and that the ITC corridor is the city’s final trail gap linking north–south segments.
Why it matters: The recreation millage (Pathways to Play and Preservation) funds large capital projects; council members asked which projects are millage-funded and which rely on other funds.
Council response and next steps
Council members supported the ADA and trail priorities and asked for follow-up cost detail and scheduling for projects that require outside approvals (DTE, grant matches). Parks staff said construction timing depends on permitting, design completion and grant schedules.
Ending
Parks capital requests will be incorporated into the final FY25–26 budget to be adopted on May 6; staff will return with more precise bid and scheduling information for major projects.
