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Vacaville Parks & Recreation presents 2025–26 operating budget; staff point to modest reductions and steady scholarships
Summary
Parks and Recreation staff presented a proposed FY 2025–26 budget with a 2.7% total increase over the current year, a projected 48% cost recovery for department operations, and targeted reductions of about $240,000 to meet citywide fiscal constraints. The department plans to keep the recreation scholarship program at $150,000.
Management Analyst Scott Wagner presented the Parks and Recreation Department's proposed operating and capital budgets at the June 4 meeting, explaining program-level breakdowns and proposed cost reductions.
Wagner said the department's total proposed expenses across funds are approximately $11.2 million for FY 2025–26, a 2.7% increase over the current year, with projected revenues of about $5.1 million and an overall cost recovery around 48%. Wagner noted that the department's expense base is primarily salaries and benefits (about 36% of general-fund spending) and part-time wages (about 24%).
To help close a citywide $11 million shortfall, Parks and Recreation identified roughly $240,000 in reductions. Those items included fewer city-sponsored shows at VPAT, savings from a recently vacated music-instruction position, reductions in some part-time hours and front-counter community-center hours, and a modest cut in general supplies. Wagner said staff sought cuts that would minimize impact on core services and noted high community demand for facilities and programming.
Wagner reviewed division-level budgets and revenue expectations: pay-to-play programs (adult sports, aquatics, classes) are the largest single revenue source and are expected to be self-sustaining; facilities budgets cover utility and maintenance costs (some of which are shared with Public Works); and community-well-being programs (adaptive recreation, teen services, active aging) are intentionally subsidized because of public benefit.
Measure M funds continue to support scholarships and several full-time positions related to marketing, park planning and facility maintenance. Wagner said Measure M-funded scholarships are proposed at $150,000 for the coming year; staff estimate that support reaches more than 200 participants currently.
Capital projects funded through impact fees and other revenue sources include several neighborhood-park projects already under construction (Centennial Bike Park, Sierra Vista Neighborhood Park, Alamo Creek Neighborhood Park and Trower Neighborhood Park) and requests for new funding for Al Park, Unity Meadows and Al Patch Park Phase 2. Active grants and project-specific funds — for example a digital-literacy grant and habitat-conservation funding for Pena Adobe pond work — were also summarized.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about how department totals were presented, VPAT operating expenses (staff clarified VPAT uses a contracted theater operator and some maintenance costs are borne by Public Works) and strategies for sustaining cost recovery. The presentation was informational; no action was taken.
