ASHLAND, Ore. – The City of Ashland’s Parks and Recreation Department is staring down $1.4 million in budget cuts, forcing potential reductions across some of the city’s most popular community amenities.
Including the Daniel Meyer Pool, the ice rink, and several educational and senior programs.
Parks and Rec Director Rocky Houston says the cuts stem from directives issued during the city’s biennial budgeting process, which aims to address a general fund shortfall estimated at around $8 to $9 million.
“We had to make reductions up $1.4 million,” Houston told NewsWatch 12. “As we went through those new assets that we were taking on, we looked at removing those first… But it still wasn’t enough.”
Among the most controversial changes is a hike in sports field rental fees. Previously, leagues were charged a flat seasonal fee between $150 and $250. That’s now shifting to an hourly rate structure.
“It is a significant change,” said Houston. “But as we’re still trying to identify resources to keep our programs and services open, it was a mechanism to help.”
The change is already prompting pushback. Ashland Little League is planning a community walk-through event at Hunter Park on Saturday, May 3 at 11:00 a.m. The league has invited city officials, Parks & Rec commissioners, and local media to tour the fields and better understand the volunteer work that supports youth sports.
In a news release, the league criticized the fee hike as a decision “made with limited notice and without direct input from those most affected.”
Houston emphasized that the department is doing its best to protect services where it can.
“We’re trying to identify ways that we can deliver that service at a lower cost,” he said. “Maybe not what we used to do… And we’re continuing to work on that.”
The Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission recently voted to recommend a new $6.50 monthly fee on utility bills to help offset further cuts. That proposal will be considered by the City Council in a joint meeting with the Parks Commission on May 7.
If passed, the utility fee would take effect at the start of the next budget cycle on July 1.
In the meantime, Houston says the department is actively exploring partnerships and alternative funding options in hopes of saving beloved programs like the pool and ice rink—even if it means offering reduced hours or limited services.
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