Portland Parks and Recreation’s golf program is at a crossroads. Intended to be self-supporting, the program required an infusion of $800,000 of taxpayer funds in 2017 to remain solvent. While Parks has taken steps to cut costs and increase the number of golfers, it is fighting a national trend of a sport in decline and past ineffective program management.
Many of the factors that led to the funding shortfall in 2017 remain in place. To ensure the golf program is viable for the long term, we recommend that Parks and Recreation:
- Develop alternative financial forecast scenarios and present them to City Council for direction on how to proceed;
- Negotiate contracts to reflect current conditions;
- Improve contract monitoring;
- Present contracts to City Council for approval and renewal.