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Five Rivers MetroParks confronts $3.7M budget shortfall

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By Tristan Navera, Staff Writer Updated 5:55 PM Monday, December 26, 2011

Five Rivers MetroParks plans to weather a $3.7 million budget shortfall without layoffs or entrance fees, but short-term fixes may mean the parks face the same shortfall next year.

The parks will lose the revenue through lost taxes because of slumping property values in Dayton, as well as declining government assistance.

The MetroParks will consolidate 50 employees from four offices into one downtown location this year, and also plans a renewed search for park grants, said spokesperson Val Beerbower.

“To be safe, we should just continue to operate finances anticipating (less funding),” Beerbower said, “We’re trying to make ourselves more sustainable anyway.”

Beerbower said though parking and admission will remain free, fees for reservable shelters and charging out-of-county program attendees are possible.

“Anyone can go out anytime and hike or ride the bikeways or kayak on the river free of cost,” Beerbower said. “Fees would be applied to things that only a very limited number of people can benefit from at a time.”

The MetroParks called on all employees for ideas on cost cutting and revenue generation. Eventually, health insurance was renegotiated, positions went vacant, and sponsorships sought for fleet vehicles. Combined with the office consolidations and the first grants, the parks were able to save $2.1 million, and balanced the remainder of the budget from their emergency fund.

However, the parks will have to cope with similar numbers next year.

In July, the district discovered it will lose at least 5 percent of its $22.2 million budget each year until 2020, from a projected loss of $1.2 million in funding each year thanks to a decrease in local property values.

The district also will lose an undetermined amount of funding when Ohio ends its Commercial Activity Tax by 2014.

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