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Spokane parks staff say levy cash flow, not budget line items, will determine when $12 million in projects proceed
Summary
Staff told the Spokane Park Board that timing of semiannual levy payments — not line-item budget authority — will govern hiring and capital work, and presented a roughly $12 million first-year project slate funded by local dollars plus grants and partnerships.
Staff told the Spokane Park Board on June 11 that the city’s new levy will function as a cash-flow instrument, and that project timing will depend on when semiannual levy payments arrive.
Rich Lentz reported May financials showing that “revenues exceed expenses by about 2,100,000,” and warned that without reserves the parks levy can drive short-term hiring and purchase decisions. “You can kind of get to 0 before that next installment comes in,” he said, describing a forecast that dips close to zero in the months between levy payments.
That cash-flow constraint framed a presentation by Nick Jeffries, who outlined an initial slate of capital work and outreach tied to the levy. “We’re proposing about $12,000,000 worth of projects,” Jeffries said, adding that the city plans to contribute roughly $7 million in local dollars and rely on grants and partnerships for the remainder.
Jeffries listed active and upcoming work including restroom and pathway upgrades, sport-court replacements, Meadow Glen Park work, a Post Street parking lot, and a Shadle all-weather field in partnership with Spokane Public Schools. He said eight projects are under construction or recently completed, and five new contracts are slated to start in July.
Board members and staff repeatedly contrasted budget authority with cash availability: while the board has approved the 2026 budget, staff cautioned that actual hiring and equipment purchases will need to be paced to available cash. Lentz used a hiring example to make the point: a nine-FTE hiring plan in the first year might only be cash-feasible for about five hires until the next levy installment arrives.
The presentations included outreach and design notes: staff said they have held a dozen engagement events since April and will post public-engagement summaries to the Together Spokane website, followed by design plans for each project. Jeffries said staff will bring a full-scale restroom model to the end of the meeting for board members to view.
Next steps: staff will continue design and public outreach; the board will approve a levy budget framework in October and monitor cash flow before committing to additional hires or purchases.
