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Senators urge stronger funding for parks and rec as staff, lifeguard and restroom maintenance fall short
Summary
Lawmakers questioned a slight FY26 decrease to Parks and Recreation and urged more funding for park maintenance, lifeguards, pools and restroom repairs. Staff said the administration's proposed FY26 amount is about $16,461 lower than FY25 in the EBR comparison; senators highlighted public-safety and tourism implications.
Senators raised concerns about the Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) FY26 appropriation during the appropriations review, saying small cuts or flat funding could undermine maintenance of public beaches, pools and other recreation facilities.
Budget staff said the FY26 bill proposes $4,506,359 from the general fund for DPR, plus smaller special-fund sources and $400,000 from the Tourist Attraction Fund earmarked to maintain restroom facilities and two regional pool facilities. Staff said the FY26 figure represents a $16,461 decrease compared with the FY25/E BR level; the change reflects the agency’s own request and the EBR ceiling.
Senators described continuing problems: broken showers and restroom infrastructure at popular beaches (Ipao, EPOW/Metapeng were mentioned), irregular lifeguard coverage, and reductions in visitor safety officers. One senator told the committee that DPR’s territorial park patrol allocation totals $1,069,562 within the FY26 budget and that an additional $90,000 will fund civilian volunteer park officer reservists.
Committee members urged OFB and DPR leadership to find ways to sustain routine maintenance and staffing, and several senators suggested longer-term reforms such as devolving some DPR assets and responsibilities to village mayors or improving oversight to ensure maintenance funds are used efficiently. The chair and other members also mentioned recent federal funding losses to the Guam Historic Resources division and asked staff to explore remedies.
No final amendment was adopted at the hearing; senators said they would consider targeted amendments and asked for further documentation on federal grant changes and the department’s staffing pattern.
