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Park Operating Expenditures per Acre of Parkland <br />Your <br />Agency <br />All <br />Agencies <br />Population Density <br />per Sq Mile <br />Over 2,500 <br />Lower Quartile $1,721 $2,615 <br />Median $3,110 $3,708 $5,424 <br />Upper Quartile $7,708 $11,513 <br />Operating Expenditures Per Capita <br />Your <br />Agency <br />All <br />Agencies <br />Population Density <br />per Sq Mile <br />Over 2,500 <br />Lower Quartile $51.40 $69.11 <br />Median $48.57 $93.01 $108.36 <br />Upper Quartile $171.18 $198.12 <br />2021 Agency Performance Report <br />$0 <br />$1,000 <br />$2,000 <br />$3,000 <br />$4,000 <br />$5,000 <br />$6,000 <br />Your <br />Agency <br />All <br />Agencies <br />Population Density <br />per Sq Mile <br />Over 2,500$ Spent per Acre$0.00 <br />$20.00 <br />$40.00 <br />$60.00 <br />$80.00 <br />$100.00 <br />$120.00 <br />Your <br />Agency <br />All <br />Agencies <br />Population <br />Density <br />per Sq Mile <br />Over 2,500$ Spent per ResidentTwo metrics that can be used to gauge whether a community is <br />adequately funded to manage, operate, and maintain its parks <br />and recreation areas are “park related operating expenditures <br />per acre of parkland managed” and “operating expenditures <br />per capita.” The first metric, operating expenditures per acre, <br />is calculated by dividing total park related operating <br />expenditures by total parkland acres managed by the agency. <br />The second metric, operating expenditures per capita, is <br />calculated by dividing total operating expenditures by the <br />population of the jurisdiction served by the agency. <br />Operating expenditures include all of the costs to provide parks <br />and recreation services to the community, including personnel <br />salaries, benefits, utilities, equipment, and materials. <br />Operating expenditures may also include debt service if it is <br />paid out of the annual operating budget, as well as any <br />expenditures incurred as part of a special or enterprise fund <br />(such as a golf course) managed by the public agency. <br />It is important to note that operating costs can vary widely <br />between communities due to differences in parks and <br />recreation facility standards, types of equipment, repair and <br />replacement schedules, types and topography of parkland, <br />degree of maintenance required, levels of use, and other <br />variables. Operating costs and efficiencies can also vary with <br />the number of acres managed and/or the size of the population <br />served. For example a community that manages extensive <br />conservation lands will have a lower ratio of expenditures/acre <br />than a community that primarily manages developed parkland. <br />Communities that benchmark operating expenditures should <br />conduct follow-up research to analyze and document the <br />specific reasons for differences in operating expenditures. For <br />example it may be helpful to find a similar agency in Park <br />Metrics (formerly PRORAGIS), then visit and photograph the <br />facilities at benchmarked communities, and meet with agency <br />staff to document key differences in facility quality or levels of <br />maintenance. It may also be helpful to determine if a <br />community is serving a larger population than its own <br />residents. Elected officials, managers, and residents may be <br />more supportive of increased operation budgets if they clearly <br />understand the reasons for variations in funding between <br />communities, and/or the implications of different funding <br />levels. <br />Are you adequately funded? <br />Executive Summary <br />4 44 of 63