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Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Parks and Recreation Operating Budget Submission Update and Fee Review (Erin O’Brien, Business Manager)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Parks and Recreation Commission be apprised of the status of the Department’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 operating budget submissions. It is further recommended that the Commission review and consider approval of the Parks and Recreation fee increases recommended by staff.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Each year, the City is required to prepare and submit an updated operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which is subsequently reviewed and adopted by the City Council. As the Commission is aware, the City’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. The budget process provides an opportunity to align departmental operations with citywide initiatives, evaluate resources needed, and ensure responsible fiscal planning.
At the time of this staff report, proposed FY 2025-2026 operating budget requests have not yet gone before the Budget Standing Committee of the City Council. The meeting to review FY 2025-2026 citywide proposals is scheduled for the late afternoon of Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
In preparing the Parks and Recreation Department’s FY 2025-2026 budget package, staff considered the following key factors:
• Anticipated costs associated with the opening, operation, and maintenance of the new Aquatic Center for half of the fiscal year
• Improvements to revenue and grant tracking practices
• Citywide programs and projects previously absorbed by the department that can no longer be sustainably supported
• Net neutral budget adjustments
• Trends in program revenue projections
The Commission is recommended to review the Parks and Recreation Department’s detailed Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget requests once they are made available as part of the City’s comprehensive New Year Budget proposal. The preliminary report will be accessible on the Budget Standing Committee of the City Council’s May 20, 2025 meeting agenda via the City’s Legistar portal at <https://ci-ssf-ca.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx>.
At this time, City departments are also asked to review their fees under the City’s Master Fee Schedule and present appropriate recommendations for the upcoming Fiscal Year. Under the direction of the City Manager, departments were asked to apply an increase to all fees across the board of 2.7% based on the CPI.
As the Commission is aware, new fees and fee increases for the hundreds of classes, rentals, and programs offered by the Department must be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission, with a recommendation forwarded to the City Council for final approval. In addition to the 2.7% proposed fee increase, the Department has also provided recommendations for new fees, and modifications to existing ones. The Department’s FY 2025-2026 fee recommendations can be found in Attachment 1.
The Department will continue to work with participants to provide scholarships to those in need of financial assistance and will continue to offer payment plans. For years, the Department has been committed to the goal of not turning away families from essential recreational, childcare, enrichment and socialization services, and will continue to work collaboratively with community members to mitigate any financial barriers. In fact, in the past year, efforts to publicize scholarship programs have dramatically increased, which has considerably increased awareness of this valuable program.
CONCLUSION
The Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget development process provides an important opportunity to ensure that the Parks and Recreation Department continues to deliver high quality, inclusive, and fiscally responsible programs and services to the community. The Commission’s recommendation regarding the proposed Fees for FY 2025-2026 will be forwarded to City Council for their review of the City’s FY 2025-2026 Master Fee schedule at a future meeting. The items presented in this report are still in the preliminary stages and may change as the Standing Budget Committee and City Council reviews, discusses and provides direction on the budget. Staff will provide an administrative update regarding the Department budget at a future commission meeting if changes are made.
Attachments
Attachment 1: Proposed P&R Master Fee Schedule for FY 2025-2026
Attachment 2: Childcare & Youth Enrichment Services Camp Comparisons
Attachment 3: Aquatic Fee Comparisons
Attachment 4: Bocce Ball Court Rental Comparisons
Attachment 5: Non-Resident Rental Comparisons