Commission Hears Mayor's Proposed FY26 Parks Budget, Approves Several Measure P Recommendations

City of Fresno parks staff presented the mayor's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget for the Parks, After School Recreation and Community Services Department and the capital projects portfolio; the commission discussed Measure P allocations, capital projects and staffing changes and approved several budget recommendations by voice vote.

Aaron Aguirre, parks director, and Summer Rooks, projects administrator, walked commissioners through revenue, appropriation and program tables tied to Measure P during the May 19 meeting. Staff highlighted subfunding created to separate citywide and "high needs" dollars and described the mayor's proposed allocations across six Measure P categories.

Key budget figures and portfolio details discussed during the presentation included: - The presentation showed Category 1 (existing parks) with a beginning balance of $4,900,000 and projected sales-tax revenue of about $10.8 million, producing a Category 1 total of roughly $16.1 million as presented by staff. - Staff said the mayor's proposal includes approximately $11.4 million in Category 4 funding to be passed through to the Fresno Arts Council to administer the expanded-access arts grants program. - Aaron Aguirre described a personnel transfer in the mayor's proposal that would move a landscape crew (50 maintenance workers) from Public Works into the Parks Department to consolidate park maintenance under parks operations. - Staff said the proposed budget shows park rangers funded under Measure P (about $1.496 million citywide plus $500,000 to highest-needs pockets as presented) but noted the operational positions remain in Police's personnel control and are reimbursed from parks funding. - Summer Rooks said the capital portfolio includes dozens of active projects: 97 projects in various stages, 30 construction contracts awarded in the past year totaling roughly $61,000,000 (about $13,000,000 of the contracts were Measure P-funded, staff said), 24 projects near completion and plans for net new park acreage (about 25 acres of new parkland expected in coming years) and targeted acquisition funds.

Rooks described acquisition funding in the FY26 proposal: staff said the budget includes approximately $19.9 million of unallocated funding to purchase new land, broken down in the presentation as $11.5 million under the old high-needs definition (FY22'FY24), $7.7 million for the new high-needs definition, and $780,000 for citywide acquisitions. Rooks said that staff will work with other city departments to identify available parcels and will prioritize parcels that maximize acreage and equitable access.

Commissioners asked for clarifications on grant reliance and contingencies. Aguirre said most of the department's outside grant funding is state- and locally-sourced (for example, Proposition 68) and that the department had not yet seen broad federal grant interruptions that would affect the FY26 proposal. Commissioners and staff discussed timing and sequencing for the West Fresno Community Rehabilitation Master Plan (Frank H. Ball, Mariela Brown, Maxie L. Parks and Sunset community centers); Rooks said the master plan is near finalization and that phasing and grant opportunities will determine when construction can begin.

On staffing, Aguirre said the proposed headcount grows substantially in FY26 because the landscape crew transfer adds roughly 50 positions. Commissioners asked about the roles that will remain with Public Works (for example, urban forestry and tree arborists) and staff said tree care will remain with Public Works'Urban Forestry while landscape maintenance for park parcels would shift to Parks.

Commission votes and recommendations: The commission made three specific funding recommendations and approved them by voice vote. Chair McCoy moved to recommend three allocations in the FY26 budget: $657,300 for improvements at Think White, $2,300,000 for replacement restrooms at Nilsson Park and $400,000 for basketball court improvements at Nilsson Park; the motion was seconded and accepted by voice vote. Later the commission moved and approved a $50,000 recommendation to support Wellness on the West, a grassroots fitness and community event series in West Fresno; that motion was seconded and accepted by voice vote.

Why it matters: the mayor's proposed budget frames implementation of Measure P priorities (existing-park improvements, new-neighborhood parks, program funding, arts and cultural grants, San Joaquin River Parkway investments and administration). The acquisition funds and the transfer of maintenance staff were discussed as significant operational and strategic changes that will affect how parks are maintained and where new parkland may be located.

What commissioners requested or will watch next: a clearer public reporting back on the West Fresno master plan (staff said the plan will be finalized within about a month), staff follow-up on whether proposed acquisitions can be shifted between older and newer high-needs definitions, and continued outreach on phasing and grant opportunities to advance rehabilitation projects.

The commission adjourned and will meet again on May 27 for a final opportunity to forward recommendations to council before council budget hearings in early June.