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Budget workshop: Olathe staff flag up to $1.5M transfer to support recreation fund in 2026
Summary
Interim budget manager Claire Bernauer told council the 2026 recreation fund could require up to a $1.5M transfer from the general fund to cover expenditures; staff proposed fee changes and new membership tiers to bolster cost recovery projected at 79% for 2026.
In the council’s final budget workshop for 2026, Interim Budget Manager Claire Bernauer presented the Recreation Fund forecast and proposed measures to address budget pressure, including potential fee adjustments and new membership options.
Bernauer said the fund has seen revenues outpaced by expenditures and that staff "currently anticipate up to a $1,500,000 transfer from the fund in 2026." She explained that personnel costs and custodial service contracts are major expenditure drivers and that a software migration in 2024 resulted in lost community center membership billing data, contributing to membership losses. Staff proposed several fee and pass changes for 2026—including a combined summer pass and new membership tiers intended to improve accessibility and recruit new members—and said staff are pursuing evaluations to optimize program cost recovery and OCC operations.
Council members pressed staff on peer comparisons, the treatment of community‑center debt service, membership recovery strategies and scholarship levels (staff noted roughly $20,000 in scholarships available annually). Staff said targeted marketing, expanded kids‑club offerings and sponsorships will be used to attract members and narrow the fund gap before final budget adoption in September.
