Prioritizing Endurance Over Abundance in Public Parks & Recreation

Jamie Sabbach, President & Principal, 110% Inc.

May 22, 2025

Across governance and public policy, decision-makers often face a fundamental dilemma: should they prioritize short-term gains or long-term stability? The temptation to satisfy immediate interests - whether through popular projects, tax cuts, or rapid expansion can often blind those with decision making authority and influence to the hidden costs that accumulate over time. What appears beneficial in the present can lead to financial instability and unmanageable liabilities down the road.

The Illusion of Progress: When Short-Term Wins Become Long-Term Burdens

Image Credit: Generated by ChatGPT

Imagine a public parks and recreation organization hearing repeatedly from their local swim community about the “need” for a new pool - yet much of the organization’s current infrastructure require attention and investment. Each of the past few council meetings has included a number of local swim parents publicly exhibiting their displeasure with “the city” and the council due to their unwillingness to build a new pool for “the community.” Given the consistent pressure cooker environment that has been created and the council’s disinterest in continuing to have open mic nights at each meeting with this vocal group taking center stage, council directs the parks and recreation administrator to commission a feasibility study with a design-build firm for a new pool. When the study is complete it comes as no surprise that the numbers look good given the firm that calculated the numbers will be first in line to do the work of designing and building the new pool. The pool of course, is a metaphor. Pick your poison – a pool, a rec center, pickleball courts, a sports complex - whatever the flavor of the day happens to be.

After groundbreaking, construction and ribbon cutting, the new pool is exciting, adding perceived value and enjoyment – for the swim community. Elected officials and department heads earn praise. However, long-term costs - staffing, operations, maintenance, and eventual capital repairs were never fully accounted for. A decade later, the facility requires thousands of dollars in renovations, but funding is scarce because no sustainable financial plan was created at the start. And worse-case scenario, other infrastructure has demanded attention receiving none at the expense of the new pool and continues to deteriorate leading to far greater expenses down the road.

Elected officials often promote tax cuts or increased services to win public favor. Yet, when these decisions are made without securing alternative funding sources, they enable structural budget deficits. Over time, the need for emergency cuts, often in critical areas like infrastructure or public safety and quality of life becomes unavoidable, leaving future administrations to clean up the mess.

This analogy mirrors what happens when local governments prioritize expansion over sustainability. Ignoring existing liabilities only ensures a more expensive reckoning in the future.

Playing an Infinite Game

Image Credit: 110% Inc., Park District of Oak Park (IL)

Public engagement, in its truest form, is not only about gathering numbers or tallying votes with dots on a board to set the stage for the next big idea to come to life. Too often, engagement is skewed in favor of those who demand the most, leaving the common and collective good at risk. This is precarious and pernicious territory, where short-term appeasement can erode the very foundation of good governance.

Rethinking community engagement and its role in decision making requires both courage and a steadfast commitment to common sense over convenience, convention, popularity, and immediate gratification. Park and recreation professionals, along with appointed and elected officials, must recognize their duty to represent the full breadth and depth of their communities and not only familiar faces at meetings or those with the resources to advocate for their personal interests. True stewardship means actively seeking out and considering those who are absent from the process, ensuring that public resources serve the broader community equitably. 

When this fundamental responsibility is neglected, the result is a system that rewards dominance over fairness and where public funds, meant to serve all, are disproportionately funneled toward the priorities of a select few. This is not just a failure of governance; it is a breach of public trust.

Special interests play a finite game - one driven by winning, gaining influence, and securing resources for themselves. But communities must play an infinite game. One that prioritizes long-term sustainability and the well-being of all. The future of parks, recreation, and quality-of-life services depends on this fundamental shift in perspective. Where engagement is not merely a procedural step, but a principled commitment to inclusivity and fairness.

The Liability Paradox: Growth at the Expense of Sustainability

A municipality or special district eager for economic growth might champion rapid development, expecting immediate cash without considering the long-term liabilities it will bear. One of the most overlooked truths in local government decision-making is that every action carries an obligation. Expanding services, building new infrastructure, or launching initiatives all come with future costs. Without accrual accounting, considering operations, maintenance, debt, and eventual reinvestment, today’s progress will morph into tomorrow’s financial burden.

To avoid the pitfalls of short-sighted governance, administrators and appointed and elected officials should adhere to these basic, logical planning principles:

1.      Commit to a Lifecycle Cost Analysis

Every project must account for its total cost over time, including maintenance, staffing, and capital renewal – not just construction. A $50M build today may equate to a $200M+ investment over the next 25 years.

2.      Follow The Rule of Sustained Investment

No new initiative should be undertaken without a dedicated funding source for its long-term sustainability.

3. Prioritize Maintenance Over Expansion

Before building anything new, existing assets should be maintained, upgraded, and made financially viable.

4. Consider Future Impacts

Decisions should be made with the next generations top of mind, rather than the here and now and the next election cycle.

5. Embrace Data-Driven Accountability

Policies should be based on sound financial analysis rather than political convenience and theater.

The allure of short-term gains is undeniable, but responsible stewardship requires resisting this temptation in favor of long-term stability. True progress is not about what can be built today. It is about prioritizing community endurance over abundance and having an answer to the most basic of questions.  When is enough, enough?

Jamie Sabbach is President & Principal with 110% Inc., a consulting firm which focuses on ethical decision making, adaptive leadership, and the financial sustainability of public parks and recreation. She can be reached at jsabbach@110percent.net.