Just about every city has a park?EUR??,,????'??+from the smallest town in North Dakota to the largest metropolis in New York. Parks are a gathering place for families and visitors?EUR??,,????'??+a place for children to play and explore.

However, the work and money that go into maintaining a park can be enormous. Play structures and other facilities have to be renovated, rebuilt, updated and maintained on a regular basis. Regardless of budget surpluses or shortfalls, consideration and planning for park maintenance has to be done well in advance. Maintenance costs are allocated into operating budgets, while new construction and renovations are typically funded through capital budgets.

LASN did a random survey of large cities across the country to put into perspective the relationship between the city, the park, and the operating budget. The cities surveyed (in ascending order from least to most) were Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle and New York.

Annual Operating Budget for City Parks: $31,552,363

The $31 million budget for Indianapolis is allocated by the city?EUR??,,????'???s capital improvement program, which is administered by the Resource and Development Division. More than $9 million is earmarked for parks and facilities maintenance, with an additional $425,000 going toward maintenance of the greenways. The majority of the maintenance is handled by the Public Works and the Parks and Recreation departments, with $1.8 million being outsourced.

Annual Operating Budget for City Parks: $42,000,000

Maintenance expenses for D.C. parks is an estimated $5 million of the total budget, with 60 percent of the work being outsourced. The city has seen a decrease of $3 million in the budget since 2002. Evelyn Woods, Department of Parks and Recreation, notes that there are 71 parks with play structures in the city. Needs assessments are done during annual playground inspections, which in turn, is considered for the budget.

Annual Operating Budget for City Parks: $47,800,000

As the fourth largest city in the nation, Houston has 308 developed parks; more than 250 have play structures in them. Thirty-six percent of the budget is allocated for ground maintenance, a division that employs 350 people, limiting the need for the outsourcing. ?EUR??,,????'??When assessing where to build our play structures, we take into account the needs of a community, the position of existing facilities within a community, and the size of the park that will house the new structure,?EUR??,,????'?? explains Marene Gustin, communications director for Houston Parks and Recreation.

When looking to the challenges presented by the future Holly Beretto, communications coordinator, comments, ?EUR??,,????'??As all citywide departments are asked to do more with less, we face the central challenge of providing essential city services without reducing staff and the quality of those services.?EUR??,,????'??

Annual Operating Budget for City Parks: $57,054,484

An estimated 33 percent of the Dallas budget ($19,931,214) is set aside for park maintenance. About seven percent of park maintenance is outsourced, primarily for mowing and litter removal. There are 165 parks in Dallas with 42 of the parks containing individual play features. Dallas is divided into six maintenance districts that provide for the maintenance of all parks within each district. In May of 2003, a capital bond program was passed providing over $100 million for park and recreation projects; however, the city anticipates shortfalls in the future of the operating budget.

Annual Operating Budget for City Parks: $91,809,069

The operating budget for Phoenix takes into consideration maintenance of all facilities and park land, 132 of which have play structures. Only a small amount of maintenance projects are outsourced. David Urbinato, public information officer for Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, anticipates potential shortfalls over the next five years for the city.

Annual Operating Budget for City Parks: $108,000,000

The 2003 budget for Seattle reflects a $5 million reduction from 2002. Dewey Potter, communications manager, says that the city expects to cut another $1.5 million from the 2004 budget. Seattle staffs a grounds crew that handles routine and preventative maintenance. Major projects are outsourced to contractors. The city has 130 parks with play areas. In 2000, a voter-approved $200 million fund was passed that will be used for park acquisition and development.

Annual Operating Budget for City Parks: $202,698,667

New York City employs a year-round work force that handles maintenance in the parks. A seasonal workforce is also used by the city approximately 950 city parks have play structures. The maintenance piece of the budget is $148,634,963. Megan Sheekey, director of public relations, comments, ?EUR??,,????'??It is hard to quantify the amount of work that is outsourced. We do some planting through our capital budget, and some planting and significant gardening with the expense budget.?EUR??,,????'?? The funds are allocated by the mayor, borough presidents, and council members. Sheekey adds, ?EUR??,,????'??It is difficult to project future funding.?EUR??,,????'??