August 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 8

PERSPECT I VES A MESSAGE FROM NRPA' S LEADERS
Advocating for Your Budget
It seems like budget
season is a yearround
undertaking.
As soon as a board or
city council approves
one budget, it is time
to take a breather and
start all over again.
Whether it is operational
budgets, capital
improvement budgets,
or referendums
and fundraising campaigns,
ensuring
all
voices
are at the table
will help inform the
difficult decisions that
lie ahead.
Coming out of a
year overshadowed by the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic, there has never been a better time to promote
our parks as essential to our communities. I have
heard countless stories from across the country of parks
as the places where people could still exercise, get some
fresh air and get out of the house when society shut
down. Additionally, we saw higher numbers of new users
in our parks over the past year and a half. Still, parks
may feel the impact of budget cuts.
How do we prevent those cuts from happening?
One way is to support active advocacy. There are park
supporters among the moms at the playground, young
adults at the dog park and seniors in our yoga classes.
Let them know that not only is advocacy important,
but also their financial support is critical, as these
supporters often are the same people paying property
taxes that fund our parks. Many years ago, we created
a pie chart that shows exactly how much of a
taxpayer's bill goes to the Chicago Park District versus
other local government organizations (tinyurl.com/
3ndrxzm9). This transparency positively affected the
budget conversation.
I cannot stress enough the importance of partnerships
in the budget discussion. We have been fortunate
to benefit from many great relationships, from professional
sports teams to private philanthropy, to in-kind
support from the business community. Whether it is the
local mechanic supporting the little league or the larger
construction firm providing support, our neighbors
want to be a part of their local park.
Get your decision-makers involved in your parks.
Have your board members attend the first day of summer
camp. Cut a ribbon during the opening of a new
facility. Invite your mayor or other elected officials to
events and activities in your parks. While elected officials
love to cut ribbons and participate in groundbreakings
on large projects, they also want to be part
of the community activities that occur in our parks on
a daily basis.
It always has been true that a picture is worth a thousand
words. Use images, videos or renderings to help
decision-makers understand the importance of budget
implications. Someone may want to cut a park budget
without knowing how a cut may affect park maintenance
or operations. A picture of a broken swing will
help convey the message that funding is necessary for
the upkeep of our assets.
Finally, in study after study, people respond positively
when asked about their opinion of parks. We can
use this research to influence elected officials when it
is time to discuss our budgets. Throw in a few pictures,
bring your partners and advocates into the discussion,
and give elected officials a way to be involved, all with
the goal of delivering stable and growing budgets. See
you in a park!
MICHAEL P. KELLY
Chair, NRPA Board of Directors
8 Parks & Recreation | A UGUS T 2 0 2 1
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
http://www.tinyurl.com/3ndrxzm9 http://www.tinyurl.com/3ndrxzm9
August 2021 - Parks & Recreation

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