Montgomery Parks’ FY26 Budget Approved—Here’s What It Means for You
Thanks to strong community advocacy and support from the Montgomery County Council, Montgomery Parks’ FY26 budget has been officially adopted. The approved budget ensures that parks across the county will remain clean, safe, well-maintained, and accessible to all residents.
What’s included in the FY26 Operating Budget:
- Restored base budget to preserve staff compensation and critical services like maintenance, restrooms, trash collection, and field lighting.
- Funding to support operations at newly opened and renovated parks, ensuring high-quality experiences for visitors.
- A new Parks Cleanup Assistant position to expand volunteer cleanup events and remove more than 130,000 pounds of trash annually.
- $100,000 for the Park Facelifts Program, which delivers high-impact improvements at a low cost.
What’s included in the FY26 Capital Budget:
- Restoration of $2 million in capital funds, including essential updates at Wheaton Regional Park.
While not all requests were funded, community advocacy helped prevent deeper cuts and preserved vital park services. We are grateful for the County Council’s support—and for every resident who spoke up for parks.
Together, we’ll keep working to ensure our parks thrive.
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Thanks for Lending Your Voice!
“I’m a local resident living in North Bethesda/Rockville…I’m frequently on my bike on the Beach Drive Trail or, my favorite, The Bethesda Trolly Trail. The county spent lots of money to build a beautiful entrance to that trail on Edson Lane. Unfortunately, it is not well maintained and looks messy much of the time. I was an A.D. at one of Bethesda’s high Schools and know how importance maintenance it is to the longevity of our parks and recreation areas. Please help see that maintenance is not “deferred” to the detriment of our beautiful park and trail system,
-Gary
Thank you for all your hard work at securing funding to carry on the tradition of our parks.”