Parks staff outline 2026 budget timeline, stress limited revenue and rising costs

City parks and recreation staff presented a two‑month schedule of touchpoints and a high‑level strategy for the department’s 2026 operating and capital budgets, telling the advisory board they will return in June with numeric proposals and ask PRAB for a formal recommendation in July.

Stacy Hoffman, city budget analyst with the department, and Jackson (business services manager) described PRAB’s role in the budget cycle and a timeline that calls for a preliminary departmental review in May, a draft operating and capital budget in June, and a PRAB action item in July to forward the board’s recommendation to the executive budget team and city council. City council study session dates and ordinance readings were listed as October 9 (first reading) with a possible second reading on October 23.

Staff emphasized three budget principles that will drive choices: outcome‑based budgeting, racial equity and resilience (the city’s stated priorities), and prioritizing the “highest and best use” of constrained dollars. Jackson and Stacy warned of limited revenue growth — recent slowing in sales taxes and single‑digit property valuation increases — and called attention to rising costs in fleet, specialized field equipment and construction materials, which have escalated since 2020.

Stacy described the department’s multi‑step budget process: start from a base budget, add base cost drivers (inflation, contractual increases), consider fund‑level realignments (net zero moves between line items), and then present enhancement requests (new FTE or program expansions). The Capital Investment Program (CIP) was described as a six‑year planning tool (2026–2031) with only the 2026 line actually appropriated in the budget year.

Staff discussed specific operational signals the board may want to consider: the recreation activity fund typically rolls about $14,000,000 for operating programs; the department’s growth in financial‑aid use now serves over 4,000 individuals and accounts for more than 15% of visits to the three recreation centers; and play‑area replacement needs substantially exceed current annual investment (staff cited roughly $500,000 per year currently budgeted for play-area work versus an estimated $5,000,000 per year needed for full replacement to current standards).

Staff also noted the city has the option to bond against some funds (community culture, resilience and safety tax has bonding capacity) and that staff will pursue federal grants and philanthropic partnerships (Jackson referenced the Blake Boulder Foundation partnership) to supplement capital funding. Staff said the department will update revenue projections and present enhancement requests and CIP priorities for PRAB review at the June and July meetings.

Board members asked for more detail on staffing impacts (lifeguard hiring and retention), chemical handling at pools (chlorine deliveries and contractor protocols), the asset‑management dashboard, and how potential ballot measures in 2025 and 2026 would intersect with department priorities. Staff committed to return with numbers and a more complete CIP prioritization in June.