On the Block: Fairmount Park

by Daniel Schwartz

As the city tries to cut another billion dollars out of its 5-year budget, City Paper is taking a look at how cuts and proposed cuts are affecting different services and functions — not to argue against any individual cut, necessarily, but to catalog the damage. This week's focus is parks.

At about $13 million, Fairmount Park's annual budget is less than it was 20 years ago, adjusted for inflation. Before the budget crisis began, Mayor Nutter promised the park an additional $2.2 million in funding, according to Mark Focht, Fairmount Park Commission executive director. That extra money is now off the table — and things for the park might get worse.

The mayor has asked all city agencies to outline scenarios in which their budgets are slashed 10 percent, 20 percent and 30 percent.

For the parks, 10 percent cuts would mean losses of more than a dozen full-time jobs, a reduction in public restroom access and various maintenance services.

Twenty percent would mean 20 full-time and 20 seasonal employees would lose their jobs. Thirteen park fountains would stay dry, and the public could not access the historic mansions for the entire summer and fall.

And if 30 percent of the park budget were cut, up to 35 full-time and 70 part-time positions would be lost. The fountains, mansions, Horticultural Center, Lloyd Hall and JFK Plaza would all be closed.

"We've tried to sustain our core services of maintaining public open space and doing that by retaining as many staff positions as possible," says Focht.

In each scenario, the park would suffer from backlogged maintenance needs. Focht says the park is used to understaffing. "Today we have 170 employees, and in 1984 we had 640," he says. "To cut further would have true impacts."

Katrina Wilhelm, executive director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy, calls Fairmount Park the city's front yard. "If we want people to come and invest in our city, we don't want to have a messy front yard," she says. The conservancy has helped the park raise millions from private investors.

Last Friday, Mayor Nutter remained aloof regarding the park's budget. "We've made no decisions, but I'm a big supporter of Fairmount Park, and we're gonna do our best to preserve their programs," he said.