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BREC’s budget for fiscal year 2025 stands at $115.7 million, an increase of $15.2 million—or 15.2%—from FY 2024.
Notably, the budget, which has been approved by the BREC Commission, calls for $32.3 million to be allocated for salaries and wages. That’s an increase of $1.2 million, or 4.2%, from last year.
BREC COO Andrea Roberts tells Daily Report via email that the increase reflects merit-based raises and salary adjustments for existing employees.
“BREC’s budget for salaries and wages is based on existing employees’ salaries (agency-wide) with an average 3.2% merit increase,” Roberts writes. “There are also annualized salary adjustments for employees who have filled vacant positions or have been promoted during the previous fiscal year. There weren’t any new positions created this year.”
Employee benefits are also set to rise significantly. The budget calls for $15.2 million for employee benefits, a year-over-year increase of $2.1 million, or 16.5%.
A substantial uptick in capital expenditures is also driving the budget hike. The budget calls for $33.3 million for capital outlay in FY 2025, an increase of $11.7 million, or 54.5%, from FY 2024.
This aligns with the agency’s Imagine Your Parks 3 strategic plan, a long-term initiative aimed at enhancing Baton Rouge’s recreational infrastructure. Planned investments include upgrades to parks, athletic facilities, green spaces, outdoor programming and trails, as well as environmental conservation projects.
BREC’s funding is largely derived from property taxes, which are projected to generate $87.4 million for the agency in FY 2025, up 9.4% from FY 2024.
Beyond tax revenue, BREC is set to benefit from a significant boost in grant funding. Such funding is projected to reach $9.5 million in FY 2025, a 79.3% increase from FY 2024. Additional revenue streams include self-generated income from program fees and rentals as well as other miscellaneous sources.
