Parks department seeks $120.4M in FY27 to sustain services, expand tree program and finish greenway ring

Homer Garcia III, parks director, told the City Council the Parks & Recreation proposed FY27 budget totals roughly $120.4 million across funds, with $71.1 million from the general fund, restricted funds near $29 million and capital under $20 million. "We have more than 17,200 acres of public green space," Garcia said, noting the department manages 278 parks and more than 100 miles of greenway trails.

The budget includes revenue updates and program-level changes the department said will improve cost recovery without reducing most services. Garcia called out revenue enhancements of about $445,000 from updated user fees and said transfers will reassign 12 positions from the general fund to restricted funds where appropriate. He said the proposal also contains reductions and efficiencies totaling just over $3.2 million, highlighted by a $200,000 decrease in the botanical garden contribution tied to a city lease and the elimination of several vacant roles.

A major proposed investment is $10.4 million to the Tree Canopy Preservation Mitigation Fund, which Parks plans to use to plant and adopt more than 13,700 trees in FY27. Garcia reported a 2025 survival baseline of 81% for trees planted through the residential tree program and said the city will continue monitoring survival and adoption metrics. "We will get more than 13,700 trees planted and adopted," he said.

On the greenway network, Garcia said 106 miles are complete, another 17 miles are funded for construction, and the city still needs to fund about 17 miles to close the ring. He said county interlocal agreements and partnerships with the river authority are helping advance several segments. The department plans to continue leveraging bond and grant funding to finish projects, and staff committed to follow-up memos with maps and project lists at council requests.

Councilmembers asked for detail about the botanical garden lease and the phase-out schedule; Parks staff said the contribution and its phase-out were negotiated in a lease approved in 2010 and clarified that the society assumed operations in 2019. Staff committed to supplying a follow-up memo with precise dates and the lease-derived schedule.