Next year’s budget for the Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation District will include two new jobs, funding for a new website and a projected deficit of about $1.3 million, but there’s still more to work out.

BIMPRD boardmembers at the Nov. 7 meeting discussed the budget for 2025 before it votes to adopt the financial plan at its next meeting. There are several new factors in the coming year that the district must account for, like changes to the salary scale and cost of healthcare, funding to update the parks’ Comprehensive Plan and the cost of administrative improvements.

But the majority of expenses will fall in the district’s Captial Improvement Fund, which supports projects like the Ray Williamson Pool renovation and facilities maintenance around the parks.

“Without the transfer to the capital fund, the general fund budget would be projected to be in surplus of $2.2 million dollars in 2025,” parks assistant executive director Amy Swenson said. “Due to the amount projected to be spent from the capital fund, with all the funds combined, staff are projecting about a $1.3 million deficit in 2025.”

In early August, voters failed to pass a parks bond measure to pay for an expansion to the Ray Williamson Pool with a proposed tax of 6 cents per $1,000 valuation. The funding for the pool’s renovation alone was already accounted for in the budget through a combination of district reserves, fundraising, grants and loans. In order to complete the project, parks must commit about $2.5 million in reserves and will secure a loan that will require payments over at least a decade.

The budget also has a 4% cost of living adjustment for all employees, two new part-time positions (one in administration, one in custodial), an increase in liability insurance, a decrease in the cost of health insurance, $45,000 for a new website, $50,000 for records management and $80,000 for the Comprehensive Plan process.

At the meeting, staff requested an additional $20,000 for records management, for a total of $70,000, and another $20,000 for the Comprehensive Plan, for a total of $100,000. Staff also asked for $50,000 to hire a human resources consultant to update job descriptions and personnel policies.

A 2024 audit by the state recommended that the district reevaluate its payroll policy outside of its personnel policies. In addition to adjustments to the pay cycle, certain roles and titles are being renamed. Most recently, the part-time recreation program coordinator title was changed to assistant recreation program coordinator.

The parks board was officially expected to adopt its 2025 budget at the Nov. 21 meeting.