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Spokane Park Board hears 2025 year-end results, fund balance and capital transfer ahead of levy receipts
Summary
Finance director Rich Lentz told the Park Board that 2025 closed with parks earning 99% of budgeted revenues and spending 98% of budgeted expenses, with a roughly $193,000 positive variance; a $300,000 capital transfer was moved from operating to capital to bridge work until levy proceeds arrive.
Rich Lentz, the parks finance lead, presented the Park Board with the department's 2025 year-end financials and February 2026 monthlies, saying parks earned 99% of budgeted revenues and spent 98% of budgeted expenses and that the year closed with about a $193,000 positive variance.
Lentz said the golf enterprise had a record year for rounds — "almost 200,000 rounds" — and that golf revenue was about $120,000 ahead of prior years even though reported expenses exceeded revenues for the year when excluding a facility improvement fee. "For the year, expenses did exceed revenues by about 308,000, but that's excluding the facility improvement fee," he said.
On monthly performance, Lentz reported February posted a net loss of about $164,000, which he said is comparable to most Februarys. He told the board year-to-date revenues exceeded expenses by roughly $940,000 and that year-to-date figures were about $170,000 ahead of the prior year pace.
Lentz also said staff transferred $300,000 to the capital fund "and is reflected in these numbers" to provide funding for capital work until the first levy installment is received. He warned the board that the parks fund typically runs into a negative position over winter and that this year has the lowest starting fund balance he has seen in his tenure; purchases such as new mowers contributed to the lower starting point.
Board members asked clarifying questions about timing and capital priorities; Lentz said the department plans to delay discretionary capital purchases and mid-year purchases until rounds and revenue trends are confirmed, with some purchases deferred until mid-summer if needed. He noted that greens fees were not increased during 2025, which contributes to tighter starting balances for the golf fund.
The presentation was delivered during the board's finance update; the finance committee had previously met and forwarded two action items to the consent agenda. After questions, the board continued with committee reports and other agenda items. The board did not take a separate recorded roll-call vote on the financial presentation itself; the consent agenda (which included finance committee actions) was approved as part of the meeting's consent vote.
