Tulsa budget committee signals funding changes for parks, code enforcement and graffiti abatement; early‑settlement mediation funding extended

City staff and councilors at a Tulsa budget meeting reviewed a series of mid‑year budget adjustments and recommendations from the small budget committee that affect parks maintenance, code enforcement, graffiti abatement, and several community services.

Key recommendations and consensuses discussed at the meeting include:

- River Parks: Committee members agreed to add $52,000 to the city’s contribution so the city’s allocation equals the county’s current level. Staff said River Parks has increased maintenance costs, including Turkey Mountain acreage and storm‑related debris, and maintains a roughly five‑month reserve.

- Code enforcement backlog: Members agreed to a one‑time allocation of $50,000 to support overtime and enforcement activities to reduce a reported backlog of open cases. Staff said the department has had vacancies and that overtime funding can let existing staff accelerate clean‑up efforts.

- Mowing cycles: The committee recommended restoring funding for park mowing cycles, restoring $186,000 to maintain mowing in park spaces rather than relying on private property standards.

- Graffiti abatement: Staff proposed adding a crew to the city’s graffiti‑removal program. The committee discussed a plan of $100,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $150,000 in fiscal year 2027 to expand removal capacity and equipment; members discussed pairing abatement with murals and partnering with local artists as a mitigation strategy.

- Early Settlement (mediation services in municipal court): The committee reached consensus to fund the program at $48,000 in the current fiscal year and $24,000 in the following fiscal year. Councilors said the service reduces eviction‑related court costs and asked staff to seek proportional contributions from other municipalities and community partners that benefit from the program.

- Animal welfare: Animal welfare staff requested funding for a part‑time veterinarian (the department requested $85,000); councilors and staff discussed partnerships with higher‑education programs, local clinics and volunteer programs to reduce costs. The committee did not record a final decision on adding permanent staff in the plan‑year; members asked the animal‑welfare working group to return with staffing recommendations for the budget retreat.

- Encampment decommissioning: Councilors discussed earmarking one‑time funds (staff referenced an amount of roughly $230,000) to accelerate decommissioning efforts and provide temporary housing and site security as decommissioned sites are cleared. Staff said the full need for permanent housing and longer‑term solutions is substantially larger, and indicated they would bring a resolution to set aside funds for this purpose on a future agenda.

Committee members also reviewed several technical budget changes and reappropriations, including moving an urban design planner position from resilience and equity to planning ($69,000), and adding minor capital and IT timing adjustments in non‑general funds. Staff said reappropriations reflect prior year encumbrances and project‑timing shifts rather than new ongoing commitments.

No final comprehensive vote to adopt the full budget package was taken; staff will return with updated technical backup and additional information at the next scheduled budget meeting. Several councilors asked staff to prepare short data reports (for example, usage and demographic breakdowns for mediation services) to inform year‑end decisions and potential intergovernmental funding requests.