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Parks & Recreation seeks $3.4 million in County Improvement Fund requests and outlines capital projects including golf‑course concession and wetland restoration
Summary
Jackson County Parks + Rec proposed a $26.3M operating budget for 2026, requested $1.4M for pavement repairs and $2.0M for playground replacements from the County Improvement Fund, and described a $900,000 golf concession expansion and a $440,000 wetland restoration grant project.
Jackson County Parks + Recreation presented a recommended 2026 budget of $26,326,292 and outlined several capital priorities that the department asked the legislature to consider funding from the County Improvement Fund.
Director Michelle Newman said Parks + Rec’s budget includes $17,669,019 for park operations and $8,657,273 for enterprise operations, with projected revenues of about $8.9M for 2026. The department budgets 146 full‑time and 163 seasonal positions and added a union plumber FTE in the recommended budget.
Newman and deputy Tina Spalla described two major capital projects: a $900,000, 26‑by‑18‑foot expansion of the Fred Orbanis Golf Course concession area to add walk‑in refrigeration, cooking equipment and two points‑of‑sale, aimed at expanding catering and concession revenue; and the Alex George Wetland Restoration, a project near Redbridge and Blue River Road where the county received a Land and Water Conservation Fund‑related grant totaling $440,000 (with $220,000 budgeted in the 2026 park fund as the county’s match). The wetland project must be completed in 2027 to secure reimbursement from the National Park Service oversight of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Newman said Parks requested $1.4M for asphalt road and parking improvements based on a March 2025 IMS pavement management report that prioritized full‑depth mill and overlay needs at locations including Fleming Park Beach Road and Longview Lake Balloon Port Road. She also requested $2.0M for playground improvements to replace structures reaching the end of service life (funds forecast to replace seven playgrounds in the Fleming Park area).
Legislators questioned whether the consolidated maintenance accounting and County Improvement Fund line items matched the budget book’s request columns and noted that the administration’s recommended amount was zero in some cases; staff explained the fund balance and carryover constraints and said some requests may be carried forward or amended.
Newman closed by asking the committee to consider the service and safety benefits of the proposed investments and to support Parks + Rec’s budget recommendations.
