Rec and Park outlines $119 million operating budget, presses for revenue and staffing fixes

Phil Ginsberg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, told the Budget & Finance Committee that the department’s 2011–12 operating budget is about $119.4 million and that it faces roughly $1.5 billion in categorized deferred maintenance needs across the park system.

Ginsberg opened the presentation by mapping the scope of the agency’s responsibilities: about 4,000 acres of open space, nearly 220 neighborhood parks, more than 180 playgrounds, roughly 150 tennis courts, nine swimming pools, six golf courses and three stadiums. "Parks play a really, really critical role" in family and community health, he said.

The department expects to meet a two‑year budgeting request from the mayor’s office that included a 5 percent base reduction. Ginsberg said Rec and Park was asked to close a roughly $3.7 million shortfall in year one and $3.1 million in year two through a mix of revenue growth and efficiency. To do that, he…