In a presentation given to council Feb. 7, city staff analyzed Richardson’s overall budget for October-December 2021, comparing it to initial expectations and the same time frame in fiscal year 2020-21.
“It is a positive trend that we are happy to see,” Assistant City Manager Shanna Sims-Bradish said of the increased community participation. “We still haven’t reached pre-pandemic levels, but they’re going in the right direction. We are cautiously optimistic about what this means.”
Parks and leisure revenues, which are part of the city’s general fund, increased throughout the quarter to $409,000. This growth was expected by the city, as it anticipated renewed interest in community operations among citizens.
Revenues from the Richardson Gymnastics Center and city recreation centers outpaced last year, with the Huffines Recreation Center having 639 membership sales and 1,388 program registrations, according to city-collected data. The tennis center saw a noticeable increase, having 715 group lessons and 1,139 court reservations during this year’s fiscal quarter.
Additionally, the city saw increased revenue generated by the hotel motel tax, including at the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts.
Total revenues for the fund increased by nearly 280% to $1 million. This estimate is compared to $358,000 generated over the same time period in 2020.
Sims-Bradish said the Eisemann Center averaged over 27,000 in attendance during 67 rentals last fall. This compares to an average of 20,000 people over 25 rentals during the same quarter in the previous year.
“We have both more events and greater audiences attending each,” Sims-Bradish said. “I don’t think that surprises us, because I think you’re seeing a little bit of a greater comfort level for activities. I think our arts organizations are also becoming more skilled at working in different environments and adapting to the needs of the community.”
This increased participation in community services also extended to Sherrill Park Golf Course, which is operated through the city’s golf fund.
According to the city’s estimates, green fees at Sherrill Park were $158,000 ahead of the budgeted target, while cart fees were $25,000 above expectations.
On top of entertainment, revenue from hotel occupancy taxes increased by $311,000 through the end of the quarter and was $97,000 above the budgeted target.
Despite the increase, the city said its revenue is still below pre-pandemic levels. Sims-Bradish said it is important to remain conservative in spending while enjoying the improving trend in participation.
“We knew, [in] setting the budget, that we were looking at a multiyear recovery before we see things return to pre-pandemic levels,” Sims-Bradish said. “We’re just pleased that we have a strong local economy, and I think we will continue to be conservative in our projection so that we can avoid the unexpected twists and turns that comes with a pandemic.”
