Recreation and Parks seeks $79.26 million operating budget for 2026; council questions aquatics cuts and warming‑center planning

Brad Barrett, fiscal manager for Columbus Recreation and Parks, presented the department's proposed 2026 operating budget to the Neighborhoods, Recreation and Parks Committee and said the total is $79,257,388 — roughly 5% lower than 2025. Barrett said the reduction was achieved through a 6% reduction in staff, a 5% cut to materials and supplies and a 1% reduction in services, and noted a $1.9 million reduction in part‑time staffing.

Barrett outlined program reach and costs: the department provided more than 109,000 hours of programming in 2025, operated 67 summer camps serving nearly 22,000 registrants, and reported about 100,000 outdoor pool visits. He also highlighted capital openings including the Fran Ryan Center and renovations at Kilbourne Run Sports Park, and said ongoing operations face rising fixed costs — $900,000 in higher utilities, $2.2 million in administrative costs and $2 million in fleet, printing and mailing expenses.

Council members raised concerns about an 8% reduction in an aquatics line item given increasing summer heat and the role pools play as cooling resources. Director Bernita Reese and Barrett said the reduction was achieved through non‑personnel savings or through partnerships and sponsorships rather than cutting lifeguards; they said hiring has not been a problem in recent years and the department expects to open all pools and splash parks absent hiring issues.

Vice Chair White asked whether recreation centers would be opened as overnight warming centers in winter; Reese said the idea has been discussed with partners (including Community Shelter Board) but that overnight operations require food service, staffing and safety planning and are not incorporated in the department's 2026 operating budget. Reese said the city and partners have opened daytime warming centers and that additional interdepartmental planning would be required to operationalize overnight sites.

Council members also questioned utility savings strategies and asked whether new facilities will incorporate solar. Barrett and Reese said the department is upgrading HVAC and lighting systems, incorporating solar on new buildings where feasible (Linden), and considering LED field lighting and other design decisions to reduce ongoing costs.

Barrett and department staff described the Center Without Walls (CWOW) program, mobile programming that serves neighborhoods without recreation centers in more than 40 sites, and the department's volunteer program (about 18,000 volunteers contributing roughly 185,000 hours annually). The Committee did not vote on the budget at the hearing; members requested follow-ups on aquatics operational details, warming‑center costs and the department's capital‑to‑operating transition plans.