EAST LANSING, Mich — Maintaining parks could soon cost neighbors in East Lansing a bit more as the city considers a parks millage to help get its budget back on track.
- The city currently has a projected deficit of around $3.1 million for its 2026 budget.
- One way the city may look to reduce it's budget is reallocating funds from the parks department, and asking neighbors to vote on a millage in August.
- Video shows perspective from the City Manager as well as neighbors enjoying one neighborhood park.
WATCH EAST LANSING CITY MANAGER SHARES PERSPECTIVE ON PROPOSED PARK MILLAGE
"We come to the park, I would say, probably two or three times a week," Brittany Wernholm said.
Brittany Wernholm says that as a parent, she relies a lot on East Lansing's parks.
"It's definitely our main place to go in the summer months," Wernholm said.
But with the city facing a projected $3.1 million budget deficit in 2026, City Manager Robert Belleman tells me they could make up some of that ground by cutting funding for parks.
"Parks and Rec is a very positive program," Belleman said. "It supports a lot of our youth. But it's not something that, long-term, the general fund could sustain."
According to the city, East Lansing Parks are allocated a little more than $2.6 million from the city's general fund. Belleman says reallocating that funding would go a long way in managing the deficit.
One of the ways Belleman has proposed to continue funding East Lansing parks is through a millage proposal. He says it's important for the city to find ways to keep those funds coming.
"I think this community values parks and recreational programs," Belleman said. "We've got a great staff here. Everybody seems to be meeting the needs, and the community is happy. How can we maintain that, and what other revenue sources can we pursue?"
But, parents like Brittany say they can't take on more costs, and if others were to vote a millage down, she's worried that it could ruin the parks she and other families enjoy so much.
"If that doesn't get passed and prices are cut, then there probably wouldn't be as many updates to the parks as needed, and we definitely like all the nicer things that the parks provide," Wernholm said. "But if there isn't the money to do that, then it probably wouldn't be as safe for our kids."
Belleman tells me the East Lansing City Council is set to vote on deficit reduction strategies, including a potential parks millage, at their next meeting Tuesday night. I'll continue to follow the East Lansing budget and bring you the latest updates.
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