The Naperville Park District remains in a positive financial position in 2024, officials announced recently, though there are inflationary cost pressures that have weighed on the bottom line.
Several of the park district’s department heads took a deep dive into this year’s budget, with two-thirds of the year in the rearview mirror, while giving a report at a meeting on Thursday, Aug. 22.
Participation numbers up across the board
Whether it’s golfers heading to one of the park district’s two courses, taking part in a recreation program or heading to Centennial Beach, the one common dominator between each is year-over-year participation increases — and, in some cases, at a record-breaking pace.
User numbers at the Fort Hill Fitness Center, where memberships are up 21%, and the Naperbrook and Springbrook golf courses, where revenues are 15% ahead of the 2024 budget, are having especially strong years.
Another positive trend this year has been the wealth of sponsorships and partnerships with local businesses and philanthropic groups.
Collaborative efforts with other governing agencies, such as the City of Naperville and Naperville School District 203 have also been noted for projects involving a new prairie nature garden at the Naperville Riverwalk and improved parking accommodations at Knoch Park, respectively.
“All of those different partnerships and donations are certainly helping to provide great amenities to the community,” Executive Director Brad Wilson said.
Cost increases pose challenges to park district
But 2024, thus far, has not been without budgetary challenges. Managing cost increases, in particular, has been an issue district officials have continued grappling with this year.
Several specific line items have surpassed the CPI rate of inflation. Last December, on the eve of the 2024 budget’s implementation, the federal CPI rate stood at 3.4%. In July, it inched downward to 2.9%.
But many of the park district’s year-over-year cost increases have jumped at rates far higher than the CPI rate. Bus transportation costs for such programs as the popular summer day camps, for instance, have increased as much as 25% in some instances.
Other categorical areas of the park district’s expense side of the ledger that have jumped by double digits in the past year include plants and flowers, up 13%; general park supplies, up 11%; and tech service contracts, up 10% to 15%.
In some instances, the park district’s own success has been a part of the budgetary challenges, Director of Finance Sue Stanish said as she explained the various factors at play at the park board meeting.
“The high demand of our programs is a challenge,” Stanish explained. “We’re so successful at what we do that more and more people … want to participate in our programs.”
Stanish and other officials said the park district faces a balancing act of keeping programs and services affordable to the entire community without sacrificing quality and ensuring costs are kept under control.
A look ahead for the Naperville Park District
While the bulk of the recent park district report focused on year-to-date 2024 finances, it also gave officials the opportunity to provide a high-level overview of what’s at play as the 2025 budget will be formulated in the coming months.
“Midyear is really a good time to take a step back and look at what’s challenging because as we’re going into the 2025 budget season, these are things we’re thinking about now, in terms of what we can do to help address that,” Stanish said.
The in-progress indoor recreation space needs assessment report will help serve as a roadmap for capital projects in 2025 and beyond.
“That is a major project for this year … and there’s been quite a bit of community input,” Wilson said. “We will have that report this fall to be able to assist with providing direction of where we go, as far as indoor recreation space.”
Next year, park district officials also plan to update two other documents — the big-picture strategic plan and the ADA transition plan — which will provide further clarity on funding priorities in the coming year.
In terms of tangibles, Wilson indicated two new parks — Open Polo Club and Fairlane Farms — will go online next year in response to new development.
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