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Board restores parks operations and partially preserves arts contracts in tight FY 2627 budget
Summary
After public pressure, the county board approved restorations to parks operations (including Simpkins swim center) and retained funding for the Arts Council and Museum with modest contract reductions, using one-time and interdepartmental funding sources to cover a $590,000 restoration gap.
Santa Cruz County supervisors on June 30 approved a final FY 2627 Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services budget that restores operations and staffing cuts proposed earlier this month and keeps the Arts Council and Museum of Art & History contracts largely intact.
Deputy Parks Director Rebecca Hurley said initial proposals included service reductions and a pilot pay-to-park program the board directed staff not to pursue. Restoring seven-day-a-week operations at Simpkins Family Swim Center, portable restrooms countywide and extra-help staffing required about $590,000. Staff presented a one-time funding package combining supervisor discretionary contributions, Measure K and Measure Q contingency funds, reduced internal ISD technology fees, rental revenue adjustments and a deferral of some partner contract amounts.
"This has really been a spirit of collaboration among other county departments ... and this board," Hurley said, noting contributions from general services, ISD, CDI and the sheriff's office.
Arts and cultural leaders applauded the restorations but warned the reductions remain a stopgap. Jim Brown of the Arts Council told the board that a 15% cut following nearly a decade of flat funding will be difficult to absorb and urged the county to pursue dedicated revenue options for the arts, such as transient-occupancy or private-development fees.
Board members emphasized the need for longer-term, sustainable revenue strategies and asked staff to track the locations and magnitude of reductions to preserve institutional memory. The board voted 5-0 to approve the budget restorations and recommended exploring stable funding mechanisms in the coming months, including during the district-measure discussions in August.
Next steps: staff will implement the restored operations, continue to coordinate with partner agencies to monitor impacts, and brief the board in the fall on potential dedicated revenue streams for arts and parks support.
