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Greenwich Parks & Recreation projects modest budget rise, cites 20-position reduction since consolidation
Summary
Parks & Recreation officials told the committee the department’s operating budget rose 2.8% versus guidelines, forecast a $495,000 revenue boost tied to newly approved fees, and described how consolidation and equipment investments trimmed about 20 full‑time positions over the last decade-plus.
The Town of Greenwich’s Parks & Recreation director, Joseph Leano, told the budget review committee that the department’s FY26‑27 operating budget is up about 2.8%, slightly above the town guideline of 2.75%, and that fee changes approved by the Board of Selectmen raised the department’s revenue estimate by $495,000.
Leano said the department builds budgets from the division level upward and that recent fee approvals will be transmitted to finance so the budget book reflects the higher estimates. “With the approval of some of the fees that the Board of Selectmen made our revenue estimate is up $495,000,” Leano said.
Why it matters: the extra revenue narrows pressure on operating lines while the department also faces rising labor costs. Leano told the committee minimum wage and newly extended sick-leave obligations for seasonal workers are key cost drivers; the department projects minimum wage near $16.94 per hour and noted it employs roughly 300 seasonal workers who may earn sick time.
Leano and Assistant Director Dan Carlson described how the department cut full-time headcount from approximately 123 to 101 over about 15 years through targeted retirements, outsourcing and consolidation. “We were able to consolidate three ferry captains into one full-time ferry captain and hire seasonal,” Leano said, adding that equipment modernization and stronger management oversight helped maintain service levels after those reductions.
Staffing and service details: the department proposed 59.85 FTEs for the coming year, kept full-time headcount at 101 and reported eight full-time positions at the golf course. Carlson said the division ties capital requests to consultant work — including ADA and field reports — to justify project timing and scope.
Programs and facilities: committee members asked how the department decides which programs to add or cut. Carlson and Leano said they rely on a mix of resident feedback, user-group input, benchmarking with peer agencies and trial programs. They pointed to recent successes such as a sold‑out “tiny tumblers” class and an expanding adult volleyball program and noted the department maintains a large recreation database of email contacts used for outreach.
Civic center and rink planning: staff said the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, now in its first full year of operation, is being positioned to prioritize public programming while hosting community partners. The department is developing a 12‑month staffing and revenue model for a potential year-round rink and plans to present detailed numbers to the committee the next day.
Budget timing and next steps: Leano asked the committee to note that fee approvals often come late in the year and that staff will work with the Board of Selectmen to present fee proposals earlier in future cycles so revenue assumptions can be included in the submitted budget. The department will provide updated revenue entries to the finance office for the official budget book.
The meeting moved next to capital priorities, including rink equipment and beach and marina projects; no formal votes were taken during the Parks & Recreation presentation.
