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Parks superintendent proposes 2026 fee increases, new vendor fees and program cuts amid budget shortfall
Summary
Superintendent Marla presented a proposed 2026 parks fee schedule to offset a roughly $48,000 budget reduction, recommending higher weekend rental rates, food-truck and cabana fees, raised stall rents and moving certain receipts into a restricted park account; she also proposed suspending swim lessons for 2026 due to low enrollment.
At the Jan. 26 Carswell Parks and Recreation meeting, Superintendent Marla presented a set of proposed changes to the 2026 parks fee schedule intended to help offset a department budget reduction linked to recent state action.
Marla told the board that "they already reduced our budget by 48,000 a little close to that, for this year 2026," and proposed raising weekend rates for the Miller Building and gym, reclassifying kitchen fees into a park non-rev (restricted) account, and adding fees for new line items such as food-truck setups, cabana rentals and horse-stall rentals.
Specific recommendations included: Miller Building banquet-hall weekday $45 per hour and weekend/holiday $65 per hour; conference rooms $20 per hour; food-truck setup $75 per day (weekday) and $100 per day (weekend/holiday) with a $150 deposit to be placed in a park restricted account; cabana rentals $50 per full day or $25 for a half day; and a proposed horse-stall rate of $50 per month with a $150 deposit. Marla also said swim lessons and lap swim would not be offered in 2026 because participation last year was extremely low (she estimated four or five attendees), making the program fiscally impractical.
Board members asked questions about utilities for food trucks, insurance and licensing requirements (Fayette County health department), and agreed the proposed restricted account could help fund needed repairs. Because the meeting was not a public forum, the fee schedule will be brought back to a February meeting for formal approval after any required notices.
