TL;DR (generated · confidence: high)

Portland Parks & Recreation's Marketing & Communications program ensures clear public information about parks, recreation, and investments through strategic messaging, media relations, and storytelling. The program supports public trust and participation while explaining levy-funded services. Budget dropped from $694,560 (2024-25) to $0 (2026-27), with staffing reduced from 7 FTE + 2 CSA positions to 5 FTE during 2025-26 reorganization. Despite resource constraints, the program remains responsible for communications across programs, capital projects, and Parks Levy impacts.

Key points (each cites a PDF page):

Program provides strategic communications, media relations, social media management, web content, and storytelling to support public trust and participation in PP&R services (p. 938 ↗)
Budget decreased from $904,208 (2023-24) to $694,560 (2024-25) to $0 (2026-27 proposed) (p. 938 ↗)
External Materials and Services budget fell from $792,107 (2024-25) to $0 (2026-27 proposed) (p. 938 ↗)
Staffing reduced from 7 full-time positions and 2 CSA positions to 5 full-time positions during FY 2025-26 Central Communications reorganization (p. 939 ↗)
Program narrowed scope to focus on core bureau-wide communications functions; community engagement responsibilities shifted to other program areas (p. 939 ↗)
Program remains responsible for communicating PP&R programs, capital projects, Urban Forestry activities, Parks Levy impacts, and funding challenges despite resource reductions (p. 939 ↗)

Amounts: $904,208 · $694,560 · ($427,000) · $690,515 · $792,107 · $0 · Dates/FTE: 7 FTE · 2 CSA · 5 FTE · Programs: Marketing & Communications · Parks Levy communications · Capital project communications · Recreation programs · Urban Forestry operations · Strategic communications planning · Parties: Portland Parks & Recreation · City of Portland · Central Communications

Marketing & Communications

Source: PDF pp. 938-939 ↗ · raw: 938 · 939

Breadcrumb: Service Area Summaries > Public Works > Portland Parks & Recreation > Retired Program Offers. . . . . . . . . . > Marketing & Communications

City of Portland Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget Public Works > Portland Parks & Recreation > Marketing & Communications Marketing & Communications Budget Revenues by Fund 2023-24 Actuals 2024-25 Actuals 2025-26 Revised Budget 2026-27 Proposed Internal Revenues $904,208 $694,560 ($427,000) $0 General Fund $904,208 $694,560 ($427,000) $0 Grand Total $904,208 $694,560 ($427,000) $0 Program Expenses by Major Object Program expenses only include personnel, internal materials and services, external materials and services, and capital. 2023-24 Actuals 2024-25 Actuals 2025-26 Revised Budget 2026-27 Proposed External Materials and $690,515 $792,107 ($427,000) $0 Services Internal Materials and $0 $0 $0 $0 Services Grand Total $690,515 $792,107 ($427,000) $0 Program Description and Goals The Marketing and Communications program ensures that Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) provides clear, accurate, and timely information to the public about parks, recreation programs, system conditions, and investments. The program exists to support public trust, increase participation in services, and explain how bureau resources, including voter-approved levy funding, are used to deliver outcomes for the community. PP&R manages a large and complex system that includes recreation programs, natural resources, aging infrastructure, and major capital projects. The Marketing and Communications program uses strategic messaging, media relations, and storytelling to help the public understand how levy dollars are spent, what challenges the bureau faces, and what outcomes are being achieved. Program resources are focused on high-impact, bureau-wide communications that support recreation participation, promote access and affordability, explain maintenance and infrastructure needs, and provide context for long-term capital investments. This includes ongoing communications related to recreation programs and access discounts, Urban Forestry operations, system-wide maintenance conditions, and major redevelopment projects. 938

City of Portland Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget Expected results include increased awareness and participation in recreation programs, improved public understanding of levy- funded services and constraints, reduced reputational risk through proactive communication, and clearer connections between investments, services delivered, and community outcomes. The program tracks workload, outputs, and outcomes to support accountability and informed decision-making. Services Strategic communications planning; Program marketing and promotion; Media relations and public information; Social media management; Web content development; Storytelling and impact reporting; Parks Levy communications; Capital project communications; System condition and maintenance messaging; Communications performance tracking Equity Impacts The Marketing and Communications program supports equitable access to PP&R services by ensuring information about programs, facilities, levy investments, and service changes is clear, accessible, and widely available. Communications emphasize plain language, consistent messaging, and multiple distribution channels to reduce barriers to participation. The program plays an important role in communicating access and discount programs funded by the Parks Levy, helping communities most impacted by cost barriers connect to available services. The program supports equitable outcomes by improving transparency around how resources are allocated and using accessible communication channels to increase awareness of PP&R services and programs. Changes to Program The Marketing and Communications program experienced significant reductions during FY 2025-26 with the City's Central Communications reorganization. Staffing for PP&R communications and marketing was reduced from seven full-time positions and two full-time CSA positions to five full-time positions. The program also significantly reduced both External and Internal Materials and Services budgets to meet citywide reorganization goals. These reductions limited the use of external vendors, reduced printed materials, and eliminated supplemental communications services. As a result, the program narrowed its scope to focus on core, bureau-wide communications and marketing functions. Community engagement and community partnership responsibilities previously included in this program offer shifted to other program areas. Despite these reductions, the program remains responsible for communicating PP&R programs, services, capital projects, Urban Forestry activities, funding challenges, and Parks Levy impacts, spending, and outcomes while operating with fewer resources amid increased public visibility and accountability expectations. 939

Parent: Retired Program Offers. . . . . . . . . . · PDF: pp. 938-939 ↗