From an income perspective, Centennial Beach was impacted by this summer’s challenging weather, Naperville Park District officials reported recently, though overall participation in other district programs was solid.
Executive Director Brad Wilson provided a year-to-date glimpse into how the district is faring financially, two-thirds of the way into 2026. Wilson’s report was given at a Naperville Park Board meeting Thursday, Aug. 27.
Weather’s impact on Centennial Beach, other sites
Through the end of July, Wilson said Centennial Beach’s daily paid admissions were 11% behind, overall membership sales were 7% lower, and grill sales were down 3.5% in year-over-year comparisons.
“It’s been a challenging year with Centennial Beach, with the weather that we have experienced during the course of the summer,” Wilson said.
Unseasonably cool weather at the start of the season, followed by the rapid shift to extreme heat, as well as stormy, rainy weather and poor air quality days at the hands of wildfires, are all believed to have played a role in the declines at the outdoor venue.
Weather-related circumstances have impacted the Naperville Park District budget in other ways as well.
Through July, Wilson said more than $121,000 in district funds had been allocated toward storm cleanup costs, and the figure is expected to rise since August weather was not factored into the figure.
“We have had to reallocate a number of resources, both labor as well as financial resources, to help with that storm cleanup,” Wilson said.
When asked by a board member about insurance coverage, Wilson said the scenario largely does not factor into the equation.
“The vast majority of that cost is the responsibility of the district, and it’s not covered under an insurance claim,” he said. “Most of the tree damage that took place out in the parks did not result in something that could be part of a claim.”
Other district programs, facilities faring better
Weather challenges notwithstanding, Wilson said the district on the whole is in good shape as summer turns to fall in the final stretch of the year.
“The district is in a positive financial position,” he said. “Our overall participation … remains strong.”
Use of the Fort Hill fitness facility, for instance, increased across a number of metrics. Group exercise, for instance, was up 12% compared to the year prior. Elsewhere, total rounds of golf increased 4.7%.
On the recreation side, overall program participation is down 1.7% compared to the prior year. Some specific programs — such as an NFL flag football offering — increased 32%. Elsewhere, summer day camps decreased 6.6% this past season.
Wilson in his report also indicated the district is on track this year to complete more than 100 capital projects, compared to 90 projects a year ago.
Grants and partnerships, he said, remain an important part of the district’s ability to carry out its overarching mission to the community.
Last year’s receipt of $1.4 million in Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grants, for instance, have been catalysts for some of the new playground renovation projects that have occurred this year.
Wilson also provided an update on the connecting community projects that are the outgrowth of the successful March referendum. Work is underway on each of the three referendum-fueled projects, Wilson indicated.
The new community activity center at Frontier Park remains on track for a 2029 opening, while the other two projects — the Walnut Ridge Park and Heritage Woods property expansions — are each slated for community use in the year ahead.
District’s 2027 budget building process underway
Wilson’s report to the board also included a brief glimpse into building the 2027 operating budget.
As numbers are plugged into spreadsheets, Wilson said district officials are grappling with several factors that could put weight on the expense side of the ledger. Tariffs, fluctuating fuel costs, increased health insurance costs, and technology price spikes all could impact budgeting in the year ahead.
But Wilson said a number of initiatives that feed into the budget are still in the pipeline next year. Plans are in motion, for instance, to update the district’s trails master plan.
The district’s draft 2027 budget will be unveiled later this fall, with an official public display of the document expected Nov. 2 and a budget presentation at the park board’s Nov. 12 meeting. Adoption of the budget and the accompanying appropriation ordinance is scheduled for Dec. 10.
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