Mesa parks and recreation outlines $57.8 million FY26 budget plan and flags pressure from lost revenue

Andrea Moore, director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, presented an overview of the department’s operations, usage and finances at the City Council study session on Oct. 23, highlighting staffing levels, the department’s major cost drivers and the need for council guidance on service priorities ahead of the next budget cycle.

Moore told council that the department’s fiscal year 2025 operating expenditures totaled about $54 million with roughly $16 million in revenue, and that the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget stands near $57.8 million, including about $35 million from the general fund. She said the department employs roughly 209 full-time positions and more than 700 seasonal/part-time staff through a pool of about 112 part-time positions.

Moore framed the department’s work around maintenance and programming and said asset maintenance consumes the largest share of resources. “When we look at doing a 2% reduction in our budget … 53% of our budget is going towards maintenance of our facilities,” she said, and added that the programs that are easiest to adjust are those that are staff- and program-based rather than asset maintenance.

Key figures and service mix

- FY25 operating expenditures: about $54,000,000; FY25 revenue: about $16,000,000 (Moore). - FY26 proposed operating budget: about $57,800,000, with roughly $35,000,000 in general-fund support (Moore). - Staff: about 209 full-time positions; 112 part-time positions filled seasonally by roughly 700 workers (Moore). - Estimated visits/participation across programs and facilities: roughly 3,000,000 annual visits/uses (Moore). - Park inventory: about 1,800 acres across roughly 209 parks and basins; about 65 playgrounds (Moore). - Pools: 20 pools across nine sites with about 5.4 million gallons of water in total (Moore). - Sports fields: expensive to maintain — staff showed a per-acre maintenance cost of roughly $21,000 per year for sports fields vs. about $11,000 per acre for general parkland.

Cost recovery and revenue sources

Moore and staff said the department recovers roughly 30% of its operating costs through fees, rentals and admissions, noting that field and pool rentals are among the largest revenue producers. Staff emphasized that affiliated youth organizations are major users of fields and pools and that rental revenue helps subsidize programming the city provides for broader community access.

Council questions and staff responses

Council members asked for ways to reduce maintenance costs without degrading service quality, and Moore described options staff has considered: reducing irrigation, decreasing mowing frequency, altering night lighting schedules and using volunteer or partner groups for targeted cleanup. She also noted limits: reduced watering can harm tree canopy and volunteers cannot substitute for city liability and safety obligations related to playground and field maintenance.

Council Member Spilsbury asked specifically about low-cost, high-impact options such as clearer signage and partnerships; other members raised public-private partnership models (for example, the Dobson Ranch golf course’s contractor-driven turnaround was cited as a success) and the potential to increase fee recovery. Moore said staff benchmarks fees against peer cities and will return with fee proposals during the formal fees-and-charges cycle; staff also said they avoided several proposed fee increases after council direction earlier in the year but are preparing to revisit some increases.

Equity and scholarships

Moore said the department maintains scholarship and reduced-fee programs. During the COVID era some scholarships were funded with ARPA and other one-time dollars; that funding has waned and staff emphasized their ongoing practice of arranging payment plans and 50% reductions for qualifying families and the department’s practice of not denying participation because of inability to pay.

Cuts and priorities

Council and staff discussed that the department faces ongoing pressure from the elimination of a rental tax and broader revenue shortfalls; Moore said the department previously identified roughly $2 million in discretionary reductions that council asked staff not to implement. Council members encouraged staff to provide clearer timelines and priorities and to return with recommendations for the FY27 budget process. Vice Mayor recommended that the parks and recreation advisory board review proposed program cuts and provide community-informed recommendations.

Quotes

Andrea Moore, director, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities: “We do still feel that we need to reduce what our budget is, what our impact is on the general fund, and looking for some feedback about what those priorities are.”

Clarifying details

- Reported FY25 operating expenditures and revenues: $54M expenditures and $16M revenue (Moore). - FY26 proposed operating budget: approximately $57.8M, with about $35M from the general fund (Moore). - Department staffing: about 209 full-time employees; 112 part-time positions filled seasonally by roughly 700 workers (Moore). - Maintenance costs per acre: general parkland about $11,000/acre/year; sports fields about $21,000/acre/year (Moore).

Discussion vs decision

- Discussion points: service priorities for FY27, fee policy, the balance between asset maintenance and program offerings, partnerships and volunteer roles, and protecting low-cost access for underserved residents. - Directions: staff will return with fee proposals during the formal fees-and-charges cycle, will continue to explore partnerships and benchmarking, and will provide timelines and options for council consideration during FY27 budget planning. - Decisions: none finalized at the Oct. 23 session; council asked staff to return with more detailed recommendations.

Proper names

- Andrea Moore (department director) - Mesa Parks and Recreation - Dobson Ranch Golf Course (referenced as a contractor success example)

Community relevance

- Geographies affected: citywide, with emphasis on tri centers (Jefferson, Webster, Eagles) and underserved neighborhoods. - Impact groups: youth participants, low-income residents, affiliated youth sports groups, senior users, residents who use parks for recreation.

Searchable tags:["parks","recreation","budget","Andrea-Moore","cost-recovery","scholarship"]

Provenance

- topicintro: {"block_id":"s4256.9004","local_start":0,"local_end":98,"evidence_excerpt":"All right. Mayor, council, Andrea Moore, director for parks, recreation, and community facilities. And I have my executive team here with me."}

- topicfinish: {"block_id":"s7956.545","local_start":0,"local_end":50,"evidence_excerpt":"Thank you, Andrea, and your team. A lot of responsibility there."}