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Parks bureau outlines cuts to maintenance and programs under mayor—s proposed budget
Summary
Portland Parks & Recreation director said the bureau—s budget faces a $3.6 million ongoing reduction that will reduce seasonal hires, curtail some land stewardship and environmental education programs, and shrink urban forestry capacity; some summer 2025 programs are preserved with one-time funding.
Portland Parks & Recreation Director Adlina Long told the council the bureau faces a difficult budget season and is planning cuts to ongoing operations while protecting some summer 2025 programming with one-time funds.
Long said total resources across Parks— multiple funds are roughly $183,000,000, but that a complex mix of funds (general fund, parks levy, capital funds, and grants) complicates planning. The mayor—s proposed budget uses a mix of one-time and ongoing funds to preserve summer offerings while implementing ongoing reductions.
Key program impacts spelled out in the presentation include: - Recreation services: an overall recreation services budget of about $52.5 million would see a net ongoing reduction of $429,000, with $1.3 million of one-time funding to sustain summer programming through 2025. Community centers, pools, and citywide sports remained open in the proposal. - Teen and summer programs: the mayor—s proposal eliminates the teen collaborative initiative grant and would eliminate summer camp programs beginning Sept. 1 unless alternatives are found. - Asset care and maintenance: asset operations and maintenance funding in Parks— primary operating fund is reduced (example figure cited moving from $21.3 million to $19.0 million in one line); overall staffing across certain asset and facilities teams would shrink by several full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. - Land stewardship and natural areas: the land stewardship team would be reduced by roughly $4.6 million on an ongoing basis (from about $46.3 million and 206 FTE down to $42.6 million and 188 FTE in the presentation). The proposal phases out some summer and environmental education programs and cuts trail and maintenance budgets. - Tree management and urban forestry: Long said tree management represents roughly $9.4 million of the main operating fund; the proposed budget reduces the general-fund portion by $1.7 million ongoing and would preserve emergency tree work and Title 11 regulatory functions but reduce outreach, volunteer coordination, and education capacity. - Park rangers and safety: ranger staffing in the proposal is reduced by roughly $500,000 and four FTE; the plan preserves core supervisory coverage and seasonal hires but eliminates a ranger dispatch coordinator and a vacant office support specialist position.
Long and DCA Donna Paul warned that these are difficult trade-offs and that the parks levy expires after FY 2025-26, so council decisions about referral timing and rate will shape longer-term funding. Long said the bureau relied on parks levy balances and a mix of one-time funding to soften cuts for summer 2025.
Why it matters: Parks emphasized that reductions will affect maintenance, seasonal jobs (lifeguards and seasonal workers), natural area care, and community programming. Several councilors raised amendments and questions focused on maintaining services in East Portland and preserving pass-through funding to smaller community partners such as Leach Botanical Garden.
What was not decided: council discussion included several proposed amendments to shift funding from other sources (police overtime, golf fund transfers, and one-time sources) to restore some parks maintenance and programming; none were adopted in the work session.
