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What Are You Doing Today to
Protect the Future of Parks and
Recreation?
Michigan Recreation and Park Association
February, 2015
Tom O’Rourke, Executive Director
Charleston County Park and Recreation
Commission
6 Things
Politics are going to get “worse.”
Environmental issues will affect everything we do.
The Health and Wellness of the American People will
be our country’s biggest problem. $
Most Recreation Services are going to need to pay for
themselves.
You are going to need to strategically SELL every
great thing you do and stand for.
Automation will change everything.
Politics will get worse
Political Parties and Interest Groups
Republicans
Democrats
Green Party
IndependentTea Party
Occupy Wall Street
Tea Party Patriots
Governance
Future Issues
What is the Role of Government?
What is the Purpose of Government?
Is Recreation an Essential Service?
2009 Conservative Politics
2014 Conservative Politics
"We are showing up at city council meetings on a regular basis, showing up at
county commission meetings on a regular basis. We have organized
neighborhood groups to attend town hall meetings," says San Antonio Tea
Party president George Rodriguez. It is at those meetings that we bring up the
issues of: How are you using our money?”
2014 Conservative Politics"I think we realized that just
getting together ... and yelling and screaming
wasn't going to do anything," says the 52-
year-old Angus. The best thing is to get
involved at the local level in the party. Move
the local party to the right ... and then the
local party will move the state and then the state
moves the national.”
What can you do TODAY?
Stay in front of the issues that will effect your
agency. You will need to justify,
quantitatively, how you are spending each
and every dollar. ( That is OK)
Create an agency that is completely shielded
from governmental politics
Environmental issues
will trump everything!
Environmental Importance
Earth Population
7.125 Billion
World Population Growth
1 Billion
3 Billion
7.12
Billion
19601804
February 2015
Environmental Importance
The developed countries of the world hold 25% of the world's population, but consume 75% of all energy, 85% of all wood products, and 72% of all steel produced.
It’s been only 2 years since - for the first time in history - more than half of the world's population lives in towns and cities.
Environmental Importance
Americans consume the most natural resources of all
developed countries. For example, we consume
about twice as much energy per person as the
British, French, Swedes, Norwegians, or Japanese.
Environmental Importance
We are Big Fat Greedy Pigs!
What can you do TODAY?
Stewardship Mission Statement
Agency Stewardship Goal Statements
Your governing body will need to be in this
game…Be their resource.
The cost of being extremely
unhealthy will be the Number One
issue facing our Country.
Health and Wellness
FACTS 47 Trillion Dollars are going to be spent in the next 20 years on
diabetes/obesity issues.
By the end of this decade, over 50 million people will be killed as a result of their food and exercise choices. (Twice as many as infectious
disease.)
There are more people that are overweight than people who are starving.
By the end of the decade there will be a half-billion diabetics and over a billion pre-diabetics, and only half the doctors to take care of them.
Health and Wellness
This problem is not going to fix itself at the National or State Level.
It will fix itself at the local level.
YOU
What can you do TODAY?
Create a REAL plan with appropriate
partners.
Most recreation
services are going to
need to pay for
themselves.
Taxation Example
Total Taxable Income $10 Million
Total Rec. Dept. Budget $ 1 Million
1
2
Total Budget
Rec. Budget
$1,000,000 Rec. Budget
Familiarize Yourself with the Following;
What is the total tax bill on a $200,000 home.
If a citizen pays $1,500 year in taxes, and the Recreation Department gets 10% of the total budget, this person REALLY, pays $150.00/year for Recreation Dept. Taxes.
NEXT – Know what that person is getting for their $150.00
Calculate what the Citizens get for
their $150.00
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
PassiveParks
YouthPrograms
AdultPrograms
YouthAthletics
AdultAthletics
SeniorPrograms
SpecialEvents
ArtsPrograms
AquaticPrograms
Camps
Breakdown of the $1,000,000 Budget
Don’t tell me your priorities, show me where you spend your
money and I’ll show you your priorities.
Calculate the fees you collect
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
PassiveParks
YouthPrograms
AdultPrograms
YouthAthletics
AdultAthletics Senior
ProgramsSpecialEvents Arts
Programs AquaticPrograms Camps
Front Row = Budgeted Amount
Back Row = Fees Collected
Analyze The Data
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
PassiveParks
YouthPrograms
AdultPrograms
YouthAthletics
AdultAthletics Senior
ProgramsSpecialEvents Arts
Programs AquaticPrograms Camps
Front Row = Budgeted Amount - $1,000,000
Back Row = Fees Collected - $ 246,300
What is the foundation of your department?
Are any programs
making money?
All recreation
agencies will need to
SELL their greatness.
Who is your Sales Force?
Your internal promotions staff
Your employees
Social Media
The external media
The public
Public Relations
PR Goals and Objectives
Raise image and awareness
Influence product, market and recreation
agency positioning
Position your agency staff as industry experts
Pursue articles/placements to create
customers and advocates
PR Vehicles Press releases.
Editor briefings
Tradeshows
Case histories
Speaking engagements
Authored articles
Social Media
A Picture is worth a thousand words.
As you post…Remember,
When Others “sell”
your greatness
Correcting Inaccuracies
Prepare for Everything
• Let the public get to the people behind the programs, and your agency culture.
• Let the public get to the people behind the programs, and your agency culture.
Automation will
change everything.
Digital Image Video
Go Pro !
Map my Run
Nike
Fuel Band
REALY, TRULY,
BECOME AN AGENCY OF
SERVICE!
PUBLIC SERVICE to HUMAN SERVICE
