Government Operations Committee FY26 Budget Workshop - May 1, 2025

This meeting of the Government Operations Committee continued the review of the Mayor's proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget, featuring presentations from the Legal Department, Parks and Recreation, and Budget and Administration departments. The committee approved prior meeting minutes and heard detailed departmental overviews, performance metrics, and funding requests.

Approval of Minutes

• The minutes from the April 17, 2025, committee meeting were approved by a vote of 3-0 (motion by Councilmember Russell, seconded by Councilmember O'Connor).

Legal Department Presentation (Rachel Nesson, City Attorney)

• FY25 Review: The department drafted more than 25 ordinances and resolutions, reviewed or drafted hundreds of contracts, recorded over 200 land records, handled over 250 public records requests, successfully prosecuted more than 70 municipal infractions, and supported key citywide initiatives. A new system assigning each department a primary legal contact was implemented about 15 months ago. The department also helped implement the new city council system.
• FY26 Priorities: Finalize implementation of Legal Edge workflow software; index and publish legal opinions for transparency (non-confidential); update the city code for non-substantive changes (e.g., changing "aldermen" to "council member"); expand attorney involvement in legislative drafting; and establish a formal process for administrative regulations. Performance indicators focus on turnaround time and proficiency.
• Budget: The budget remains relatively stable ("people and paper clips"), with no major surprises. Outside counsel costs spiked in FY24 but are now normalized.
• Position Grading: Councilmember O'Connor questioned the difference between Assistant City Attorney I (Grade 11) and II (Grade 12), noting it is based on 10 years of experience as an attorney, not tenure with the city.

Parks and Recreation Department Presentation (Bob Smith, Deputy Director)

• FY25 Achievements: Added after-school programming at three elementary schools; expanded arts, adaptive, and summer camp offerings; completed park improvements (basketball/tennis/pickleball courts at Overlook, playgrounds at multiple parks, sidewalk repairs, invasive species removal); began construction at Minoxie Village Park senior park; created an Urban Forestry Division and used a $75,000 grant to plant trees in underserved areas. The division increased park tree maintenance by over 200% and removed 15 acres of invasives in the Rock Creek Corridor.
• Key Metrics: 77 parks with 919 acres; 11.3 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents (national avg. 10.6); ~1,100 residents per park (national avg. 2,400); every resident within a half-mile to mile of a park. Trees: 1,500 pruned, 130 removed, 500 planted. Program registrations over 11,000 (up 5%), pool visits up 19%, facility reservations up 3%, reduced-registration enrollments up 16%.
• FY26 Priorities: Address aging infrastructure (Hill Street and Mullinix Park design nearing 90%, West Side Regional Park Action Plan phase one, community center design RFP to be awarded in June); expand affordable after-school programming to additional schools; expand teen/young adult programming; foster partnerships (Golden Mile Alliance, Asian American Center, National Park Service, etc.).
• Equipment Requests: Garbage packer truck, zero-turn mowers, tractor, golf course equipment, pool lounge chairs.
• Staffing: Request to upgrade a maintenance technician position at Tally Recreation Center from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Councilmember O'Connor questioned whether the position (which handles cleaning, repairs, project management) should be graded higher and suggested it be reviewed by HR in the context of broader facilities consolidation. Director of Public Works Zach Kirshner noted that the city is exploring moving such positions into a centralized facilities department but has no timeline.
• Special Events Fundraising: Councilmember O'Connor asked about a Fundraising Program Manager position (part of special events). Jen Martin explained the position raises $250,000–$300,000 in revenue for Celebrate Frederick (a nonprofit) and also handles marketing, board management, and grant writing. The special events budget (department 1272) covers minimal expenses and 2.25 employees; the majority of Celebrate Frederick's operations are funded through an MOU outside the city budget.
• Budget Increase: The department's total expenditure increase of ~$600,000 is primarily due to salaries/benefits, supplies (including the new Urban Forestry division), and pension costs.
• Project Updates: The skatepark at Hill Street Park received preliminary federal grant approval; RFP expected summer 2025. The pump track MOU and contract will come before council in June. The cricket stadium at parcel 144 is private and not part of parkland dedication.

Budget and Administration Presentation (Katie Barkdoll, Director of Budget and Administration)

• Departments Covered: Finance, Budget, Human Resources, Purchasing, Information Technology, GIS, and Risk, Safety & Compliance.
• FY25 Review: All departments fully staffed; cross-training programs initiated; IT completed SharePoint migration, fiber redundancy, and OpenGov modules; HR expanded recognition programs; central grant management position added; compliance with document retention achieved; vendor insurance requirements clarified.
• FY26 Priorities: Finance/Budget: succession planning (two employees trained per key area), standardize grant procedures and manual, promote online payments to reduce water shutoffs (goal of 24% reduction). HR: launch adult apprenticeship program with Office of Opportunity and Transformation, complete HRIS employee self-service platform, automate performance evaluations. Purchasing: continuous training, improve technology. IT: implement OpenGov modules for asset management, procurement, and budget (in CIP); integrate AI solutions; strengthen network security. Risk/Safety: identify training needs via job hazard assessments.
• Performance Indicators: Bond rating one step below AAA (Aa1/AA+). Water shutoffs on track to reduce 24% this year. IT help desk tickets and network uptime tracked. HR applicant per position rate and turnover rate (excluding retirements) monitored; stay/exit interview participation rate (first year tracked) has declined. Purchasing inventory variances and MWBE program outcomes tracked. Workers' comp and total claims monitored.
• Budget Highlights: Nine staff positions added since FY22 across these departments. New requests include a subscription to Gov Invest (compensation benchmarking tool) and regular IT equipment replacement.
• Technology Innovations: OpenGov modules will improve transparency and scenario modeling, replacing spreadsheets. Invoice cloud enhances payment processing. Risk/Safety now offers 24/7 on-call claim support for residents.
• Resident Engagement: Budget town halls held in neighborhoods; technology improvements will support public-facing financial data.

Public Comments

• No public comments were made.

Key Outcomes

• The committee took no formal votes on the budget items; the workshop is part of the ongoing review process.
• Councilmember O'Connor requested that the Tally Recreation Center maintenance technician position grading be re-evaluated by HR to ensure it is appropriate for the duties.
• The committee acknowledged the progress on Hill Street Park and the West Side Community Center design and will await contract approval in June.
• No action was taken to approve or adjust the budget; further deliberations will continue in subsequent meetings.