Council and advocates press for baselined funding as Parks faces staffing losses and one-shot restorations

Council members and parks advocates used the FY26 executive budget hearing to press the administration to restore permanent funding for parks staff and programs after years of cuts.

What happened: Commissioner Sue Donahue and senior Parks staff summarized the Department of Parks and Recreation's FY26 executive plan, which the agency described as an operating budget of roughly $667.3 million and a 10-year capital plan of about $10.4 billion. Commissioner Donahue highlighted new baseline funding for fleet repair staff and baseline OTPS funding for an Office of Marine Debris Disposal. She also described a series of capital investments such as a Prospect Park garage reconstruction and pool and playground projects that have moved forward.

But much of the hearing focused on staffing and the use of "one-shot" (temporary) budget lines. Committee leaders and advocates repeatedly asked why programs that deliver ongoing services ' such as urban park rangers, park enforcement (PEP), forestry and lifeguards ' are still funded on short-term lines that must be renewed each year.…