Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Kent County parks department reports record earned revenue, outlines Greenway and Wallfield dog‑park plans
Summary
Kent County Parks presented its annual report, saying it manages 43 parks covering nearly 8,000 acres, produced roughly $3.3 million in earned revenue (about 45% cost recovery), and described forthcoming projects including the Grand River Greenway sections, a 10‑acre Wallfield dog park and new adaptive mountain‑bike trails at Johnson Park.
Ben Swayze, director of Kent County Parks and Recreation, presented the department’s annual report to the Kent County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 16.
Ben said the department manages 43 parks and green spaces totaling nearly 8,000 acres, 109 miles of regional and park trails (about 43 miles paved), and employs 28 full‑time staff plus roughly 200 seasonal employees in a typical year. The operating budget for 2024 was about $7,500,000 with an additional $1,000,000–$1,500,000 provided for capital improvements.
Parks recorded about $3,300,000 in earned revenue in 2024, which Ben said represented slightly more than 45% cost recovery; he noted 2023 showed an anomalous spike tied to budget timing. Earned revenue comes primarily…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
