Unfortunately, the Parks and Recreation Departments during most municipal budget deficits are cut the deepest, and that is precisely the major reason for our call for the Parkway to come under the governance of a Joint Powers Authority, which could then create a nonprofit conservancy to provide daily management and a philanthropic fund raising capability to build funding stability during rough financial times.
The importance of well-maintained public open space is crucial to a community at any time, but perhaps even more so when personal family budgets are stretched and the ability to recreate and seek temporary sanctuary in a local park is treasured.
An excerpt from today’s Bee story about the cuts to the city budget.
“Nearly 200 workers face losing their jobs and many city services would be decimated under a proposed budget released Friday by the city of Sacramento.
“The budget, aimed at closing a $50 million deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year, would result in the elimination of 387 city positions, 189 of which currently are filled.
“It also would mean that the budgets for most city departments would be cut by more than one-third.
“As a result, park lawns would go uncut, after-school programs would suffer, and blighted lots would remain unchecked by code enforcers for longer periods.
"The city of Sacramento has never gone through anything like this," Assistant City Manager Marty Hanneman said. "This is historic in nature."…
“One of the departments facing the most severe cuts is Parks and Recreation, which could lose up to 145 positions, including 57 maintenance workers. As a result, garbage is likely to pile up in parks, grass would become overgrown and pool hours would be shortened, city officials said.
“Craig Powell, chairman of the parks committee for the Land Park Community Association, said those cutbacks would be devastating.”
