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The Dallas Park and Recreation board is working to figure out how to cut more than $13 million dollars from its budget for the next fiscal year.
The director of Dallas' Park and Recreation Department outlined painful cuts that would be felt across the city, as Dallas deals with a budget shortfall as it closes out this fiscal year.
Why Dallas parks face a massive budget shortfall
What we know:
Dallas Park and Recreation Director John Jenkins says the change in state law that caps property tax revenue at 3.5%, is one reason the city's budget is so strapped. Another reason is the voter-approved propositions that prioritize public safety.
"That's what the voters decided and rightfully so. 50% of your revenues is going towards public safety. That's reality, that's a structural change," said Jenkins.
Closures, shorter hours, and reduced maintenance
The city manager asked the park and recreation department to cut more than $13 million dollars from its 2026-2027 budget. Jenkins proposed cuts include closing four community centers, the Marcus Annex, Teen Tech Center, Arcadia, and Umphress.
Those aquatic center hours would be cut to four days a week. Bahama Beach's opening is now delayed from Tuesday through Thursday, and recreation center hours are reduced from 40 hours a week.
Board explores creative funding solutions
Local perspective:
Other proposed cuts, reduce litter pickup at parks and the frequency of mowing. Jenkins admits, if the reduction is too great, it will lead to complaints, like back in the 90s.
One way to be creative, billboards like these could generate revenue at city parks.
"Let me tell you, all we received was complaints every single day about how bad the parks looked and more," said Jenkins.
Park board member Rudy Karimi suggested partners, like the Dallas Zoo, take a bigger budget cut than the proposed 3%.
"I will say a negotiated reduction of even $3 million from the zoo's management fee framed as a one-year shared sacrifice is far more defensible. Then the massive reductions in core services we saw earlier," said Karimi.
Jenkins said the zoo voluntarily cut their budget in recent years.
"We have world-class destinations with the arboretum and the zoo. We have built these things up, and we are proud of them in our city, and we can't let them fail. So we have to get creative," said Karimi.
What's next:
The board is planning to schedule a meeting with its partners, including the zoo and the Dallas arboretum, in the coming weeks to discuss potential budget cuts.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4's Lori Brown.