More Cuts to Parks Board on the Way?

Will there be a rebellion at city hall in April over more parks and recreation cuts? Judging by a recent parks board vote that refused staff recommendation to institute more cuts and higher user fees on city services like pools, ice rinks and community centres, city council may finally get the message from the public that enough is enough.

On February 25, parks board commissioners Allan De Genova, Spencer Herbert and Loretta Woodcock stalled passage of the 2008 budget proposal that would have seen no new services for Vancouver's growing population, cutbacks to some facilities and higher user fees. More troubling is the fact that despite a 17 per cent increase in the city's population since 1996, Vancouver's parks and recreation system has seen its overall budget reduced by $3 million over the past 12 years.

With an annual budget of more than $59-million dollars, the parks board provides an array of services to the city, including the maintenance and administration of recreation facilities, more than 200 city parks, marinas, and trees. And while the city determines the global budget each year, it is up to the elected commissioners to determine the allocation of funds.

While subsidies for community groups and low-income users would remain in place, to maintain current service levels and subsidize services that operate at a loss, the Vancouver Parks Board staff recommended fee increases to parking, marinas, the Stanley Park train and farm, Vandusen Gardens, civic pools and ice rinks.

Commissioners who voted down the staff proposal said they could not support the budget because tax dollars are being made available for newer city projects such as Project Civil City, the Downtown Ambassador Program and the EcoDensity Initiative, while the parks board is constantly being asked by city council to reduce its budget.

The failed budget proposal has been sent back with recommendations from the commissioners to city staff for revisions. The parks board will meet again later this spring to discuss the revised budget. Read Think City's background paper on the parks board budget, for more information.