Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Board approves Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services budget; asks staff to return with plan to hire recreation specialist
Summary
Supervisors approved the parks department’s proposed FY 2025–26 budget and asked staff to return no later than the mid‑year update with a plan to add a recreation specialist position funded within existing resources.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved the Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services proposed 2025–26 budget after a department presentation and public comments from nonprofit partners and volunteers.
The presentation by Director Jeff Gaffney and Deputy Director Rebecca Hurley described a department that is serving increased demand for recreation, aquatics and cultural programming while managing rising utility and vegetation‑management costs. Gaffney said revenues from programs, Measure K district sales tax and grants help the budget but that inflation and deferred maintenance increase pressure on operations.
Why it matters: Parks face rising operating costs (utilities up ~50% in the department’s presentation),…
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
