ROGERS — Revenue in the Parks Department is expected to increase 1,559 percent next year, according to the proposed 2013 budget, as a result the opening of the Regional Sports Park and the aquatic center.
On Tuesday, aldermen approved the $2,551,068 parks budget during the second day of hearings.
“I think these additions will bring a new facet to Rogers,” said Allyson Twiggs Dyer, executive director of the Rogers Convention and Tourist Bureau. “We haven’t had a lot of weekend travelers staying in the area. Amateur athletics is a good way to bring whole families to Rogers over a weekend. Visitors will stay in hotels, eat in our restaurants and shop in our stores.”
The aquatic center will add another element to the revenue mix.
“The aquatic center will be great for our residents, and, I expect, will attract day visitors from the surrounding area. The pool will help us convince tournaments to come to the sports park. The teams will have something to do after the game,” Dyer said
By The Numbers
Budget Proposals
Other Rogers items approved include:
- The general fund: $39,005,2060
- Administration: $2,941,471
- Cemetery fund: $165,613
- Information technology: $1,471,873
- Recycling fund: $321,218
- City Hall: $166,000
- Criminal Justice Center: $286,125
Source: Staff Report
Parks Department revenue is expected to rise to $889,585 next year, compared to $53,622 in the 2012 budget.
With the two new parks, expenditures are scheduled to increase by about $500,000, from $2,071,452 this year to $2,551,068 next year.
Four employees were added, two at the aquatic center and two at the sports parks. The additional parks will also mean increased maintenance costs, said Barney Hayes, park director.
Expenditures for both the Police and Fire departments are also expected to increase in 2013, and one of the few revenue sources at the Police Department is projected to decrease.
Warrant service fee revenue is expected to drop from $113,550 this year to $64,800 in 2013.
Police Chief James Allen said officers served the majority of backlogged warrants and no officers are assigned to warrant service.
Aldermen approved a $478,000 purchase of eight marked police vehicles, six unmarked vehicles and the equipment needed for the vehicles. Another $44,500 was approved to revive a police dog program. The department retired its only police dog earlier this year.
The total Police Department budget will increase $881,446 next year from $9,526,928 to $10,408,374.
Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said his department’s budget includes increased revenue and expenditures next year.
“We expect our ambulance fee revenue to reach $1 million next year, an increase of $40,000,” Jenkins said.
Miscellaneous revenue, mainly contracts with smaller cities to provide ambulance service, is expected to increase to $111,843.
Aldermen approved only one capital request for the Fire Department, buying a $45,000 Zoll cardiac monitor and defibrillator.
“This is like a defibrillator on steroids. We can put it on a fire truck and the firefighters can do just about anything in the field. It makes a fire truck an ambulance,” Jenkins said.
The Fire Department budget will increase $169,759, from $7,881,277 to $8,051,036.