To abide by interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert’s directive that each department reduce its budget by 6%, Dallas Park and Recreation board members have considered closing several community pools, a move that would save taxpayers more than $1 million.
The proposal would target eight pools “that are currently in disrepair that have [lived] past their useful life and have not received a significant capital investment in decades,” according to a departmental presentation.
Park and Recreation “will implement a transportation strategy to ensure youth affected in these particular pool zip codes can enjoy the next closest new aquatic facility for free: Jaycee Zaragoza (Replacement 2024 Bond Program), Grauwyler, Glendale, Bonnie View, Tommie Allen, Martin Weiss, Walnut Hill, as well as Everglade.”
But Park and Recreation board member Daniel Wood questioned such a plan during a meeting last Thursday, according to The Dallas Morning News.
“If we look at the pool closures, seven of the [nine] pools you’re recommending closing are south of I-30, and that’s where the minority districts primarily land, and that’s an inequity,” he said, per DMN.
The department’s planned 2024-2025 budget is about $127.7 million, The Dallas Express reported in June.
“We are looking to become a more sustainable parks system,” Assistant Director Rachael Berry said during a Parks, Trails & the Environment Committee meeting on June 3. “The highest priorities for the Park Board at this moment … is a lot of maintenance and security. … A lot of this is just based on the aging infrastructure within the parks system.”
The 2023-2024 budget included $2.8 million “for stronger park security presence and the ability to enforce serious offenses as well as additional enhancements totaling $701,000 for parks and trails lighting, security cameras, and Emergency Blue Light tower phones so you can safely enjoy over 177 trail miles that our City has to offer,” budget documents show.
The new fiscal year begins on October 1. Excluding the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue, all City departments must present budget plans to Tolbert’s office that include 6% reductions. For Park and Recreation, that amounts to $5.8 million.
“The Park and Recreation Department had a meeting with the city manager on May 21, 2024, to discuss the Department’s request for enhancements,” according to the board presentation. “FY 2024-25 Budget instructions requested a budget reduction scenario of 6% for all City Departments except for Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue with reduction amounts of 3%.”
Park and Recreation officials met with Tolbert on June 24 to “discuss Budget Management Services request for reductions.” Director John Jenkins told board members during their meeting on Thursday that he was negotiating with Tolbert’s office to lessen the department’s hit by 3%.
Neither he nor Board President Arun Agarwal returned messages from DX seeking comment.
Voters in May approved a nearly $1.3 bond package that includes $345.2 million for parks and recreation, but little is earmarked for water facilities. According to a project document, $6.5 million will go toward replacing community pools at Pleasant Grove, Jaycee Zaragoza, and Tommie M. Allen — all in Council Member Chad West’s District 1. Another $1.5 million is expected to be spent on a “new environmentally friendly parking lot for aquatics center and skate park” at Bachman Lake in Council Member Omar Narvaez’s District 6.
In addition to the proposed closing of community pools, Park and Recreation is considering:
Restructuring a decentralized approach to a centralized local delivery method for teen program delivery.
Eliminating seasonal hiring bonuses through “overcoming hiring challenges attributed to an increase in hourly wages.”
Using “spot mowing” during periods of extreme heat in July and August.
Reducing partner stipends and management fees affecting the Trinity River Audubon Center, Cedar Ridge Preserve, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society, Dallas Zoo, and FC Dallas by 3%.
“That’s not unusual,” Jenkins said during the board meeting, according to DMN. “We have always made those types of requests over the years whenever we get into tough budget years. And then when we get back to better years, we restore funding back when funding is available.”
Tolbert’s office did not respond to a DX request for comment.
Dallas officials have identified several areas of the City’s planned $4.5 billion budget next fiscal year to reconcile a $40 million deficit and to fully fund the Dallas Police & Fire Pension System for the next three decades.