San Antonio proposes $111 million parks budget; plans service adjustments, aquifer protection and expanded hours

Homer Garcia III, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, told the City of San Antonio budget work session on Sept. 9 that the departmentis proposing an all-funds budget of about $111 million for fiscal year 2026, with roughly $74 million in the general fund and just under $20 million scheduled for capital projects.

The budget matters because it funds operations and programming across more than 270 parks, roughly 260 miles of trails and 28 recreation centers that serve San Antonio neighborhoods. Garcia said the proposal includes targeted reductions identified through a comprehensive budget review and continued investment in aquifer protection and urban forestry.

Garcia said the departmentis accredited and employs more than 500 people. He said the cityparks system has grown since 2019 and that the proposed increases largely reflect the cost of managing new facilities and trails. "We are one of four comprehensive budget review departments," Garcia said, describing a process that identified $1,270,000 in reductions across mowing, temporary staffing and maintenance positions.

Key figures and programs in the presentation included:

- Budget totals: roughly…