What are your strategic solutions for managing budget cuts?

Parks & Recreation, Feb, 2009

This month's Sound Off features highlights from the new NRPA Public Policy blog "Talking Policy for Parks and Recreation." For two days in December, more than 5,000 participants logged on to the Online Town Hall Meeting to discuss Strategic Solutions for Managing Budget Cuts. The next Online Town Hall Meeting will take place this month. Watch your email inbox for your reminder or contact Becky Webb-Morser (bwebbmorser@nrpa.org) for information. Bookmark this page: http://nrpa blog.typepad.com/policy/

IN AURORA, COLORADO, WE HAVE ON OCCASION (after careful analysis) lowered fees to generate additional participation and revenue. Our financial assistance and city employee discount programs have also helped to generate additional participation and revenue. We monitor the above approaches to ensure a positive financial position.

--Linda Kotowski, CPRP

THE CITY OF PHOENIX IS FACING a shortfall of an estimated $250 million over the next sixteen months. Each department was asked to propose 30 percent reduction, which equals $30 million for the Parks and Recreation Department. During the last fiscal year, there was a reduction to the parks and recreation operating budget of 13 percent or $12.3 million. While evaluating the remaining programs and services, it became apparent that further reductions would impact recreation programs severely. Our strategy in proposing reductions was to increase fees, reduce administrative positions, evaluate programs that might be offered by other organizations and nonprofits (such as youth sports programs), decrease general recreation programs, modify facility hours and availability, and lastly reduce frequency in park maintenance and ranger patrol. Partnerships and sponsorships have always been critical to our operation. In this time it will be more critical to evaluate all opportunities in order to continue to provide essential services to members of our community.

--John Lawrence

IN PROSSER, WASHINGTON, WE ARE FEELING the hit of numerous budgetary issues within the Recreation Department. The big hit deals with funding from the state to support our pool renovation project. We are waiting to see what the legislature will give to the oversight association that will grant us the needed money to finance the million-dollar project. This is tied into grant programs in general, as we in the City have to match the $500,000 from the state with local contributions and other grants. Most of the grant programs that help aide recreation and parks service are no longer accepting applications or are changing their application dates to a later period. To help offset this stress, we have been making the community more aware of the issues and offering many opportunities to voice their comments and concerns. This has helped ease the negative budget aspect.

--Kellie Brennan

"THE CITY OF ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, does a combination of contract mowing and in-house mowing. The contractors mow the right-of-ways, which are less technical and have less interaction with our residents. This contract is efficient and cost effective as the ancillary costs such as Workman's Comp, leave, etc., are not included in the city budget, and the contacts are negotiable each year. We maintain the parks and areas closer to private homes to ensure that they are inspected regularly and held to high customer service standards. Having the combination of contracted services and in-house services is advantageous to us when each line item in the budget is looked at carefully for areas to reduce. A cut in contracted services equates to a reduction in services, whereas a reduction in staff places a burdensome workload on those who remain.

--Betsy Thompson