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Dallas Parks outlines recruitment, succession plans and $126.2 million program request as vacancies challenge operations
Summary
Department staff briefed the board on recruitment and succession initiatives, high vacancy pressures in maintenance and recreation roles, and reported that Parks submitted 24 program requests totaling $126.2 million for the FY2025–26 budget; forecasted revenues outside Fair Park were cited at about $11 million.
Park and Recreation Department staff on June 18 presented an update on staffing, recruitment, succession planning and the department’s budget request for fiscal year 2025–26.
Staff said the department submitted 24 program requests totaling $126,200,000 and reported forecasted revenues of a little over $11,000,000 for the fiscal year, excluding Fair Park. The department’s requests are part of a broader "vibrant foundational" pillar in the city manager’s budget planning that groups Parks with the library, arts and other departments; that pillar’s total proposed budget was described in the briefing as about $213,500,000.
The presentation reviewed staffing numbers and vacancy drivers, noting heavy hiring and retention pressures in specialized maintenance roles (irrigation technicians, senior maintenance positions) and in recreation staffing. Staff said the department has developed succession‑management training pilots, and is expanding outreach to college campuses, trade schools and Dallas ISD career and technical education programs to widen the hiring pipeline.
Why it matters: the board heard that unfilled positions create backlogs on maintenance, slow facility work and complicate programming. Board members emphasized that lengthy online application and onboarding processes contribute to candidate loss and urged the department to speed phone responses and reduce time‑to‑hire.
Staff noted specific workforce actions: internal succession modules, training pilots to prepare candidates for promotion, tuition reimbursement participation and partnerships for apprenticeships and internships. Board members suggested increased storytelling and social‑media recruiting featuring employees’ experiences and short video vignettes to attract younger applicants.
Miss Heswig, a board member, said she still sees churn in liaison staff and facility service backlogs even as department metrics improve. Staff responded that although vacancies remain, the department’s vacancy rate has improved from prior years and that programs such as targeted job fairs and faster hiring coordination with the city manager’s office are shortening time‑to‑hire in some cases.
Staff and board members agreed to pursue technological improvements for job discovery and faster onboarding, continue outreach with Dallas ISD’s career and technical education division, and to bring follow‑up updates to the board before the next budget cycle.
