Albany County Parks seeks budget changes as programming expands at new community center

Bakery Janney, identified in the transcript as a commissioner for Albany County Parks & Recreation, asked the Public Works Committee to authorize an amendment to the department’s 2025 budget to address temporary health and tax-assessment lines associated with new property acquisitions and expanded programming.

"As our department has grown and acquired new positions and increased programming, we've also encouraged a different, taxes from the properties that we have acquired," Janney said, describing staffing increases and larger attendance at events such as the fall festival. Janney said one etiquette class already has 39 people signed up and listed programs including adult and youth chess, Zumba, futsal, STEM, kung fu and family board game nights.

Janney said programming is already in place at available spaces in the still-under-construction Gilley (Gillette) Theater Sports and Recreation Center and that some programming continues at Saint Rose. She directed residents to albanycounty.recdesk.com for current program listings and said Parks has been doing outreach by distributing flyers and knocking on doors.

Committee members asked follow-up questions about the tax liabilities tied to newly acquired properties; Janney said she would provide a detailed answer after checking the tax files and relevant departments. The budget amendment was presented as necessary to allow Parks to cover increased temporary‑employee health and tax-assessment costs that arose as the department expanded its services and facilities.

The committee moved the item forward for consideration and requested follow-up information on property tax status and construction timelines.