SpendingDepartmentsRecreation and Parks
What does the Department of Recreation and Parks cost?
In FY2025-26, the most recent complete fiscal year, the City Controller's records show $410.9M spent from this budget, against a final budget of $433.2M (adopted at $362.0M). The adopted budget for FY2026-27 is $374.6M.
The Controller's budget data keeps the department's special accounts (trust and grant funds) as a separate unit, "Recreation and Parks - Special Accounts", with no adopted budget of its own. The budget table here covers the department's own budget only; payments to outside vendors include both.
Budget and spending by year
What the City adopted for the department each fiscal year, the budget after changes made during the year, and what it spent. Fiscal years run July to June.
| Fiscal year | Value |
|---|---|
| FY2016-17 | $269.6M |
| FY2017-18 | $275.4M |
| FY2018-19 | $299.6M |
| FY2019-20 | $308.2M |
| FY2020-21 | $313.6M |
| FY2021-22 | $306.5M |
| FY2022-23 | $344.6M |
| FY2023-24 | $352.8M |
| FY2024-25 | $383.9M |
| FY2025-26 | $410.9M |
Spent, complete fiscal years only.
| Fiscal year | Adopted | Final budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026-27in progress | $374.6M | — | — |
| FY2025-26 | $362.0M | $433.2M | $410.9M |
| FY2024-25 | $351.2M | $412.6M | $383.9M |
| FY2023-24 | $342.0M | $388.0M | $352.8M |
| FY2022-23 | $321.1M | $383.3M | $344.6M |
| FY2021-22 | $301.8M | $324.7M | $306.5M |
| FY2020-21 | $265.6M | $391.8M | $313.6M |
| FY2019-20 | $272.1M | $326.9M | $308.2M |
| FY2018-19 | $251.9M | $314.0M | $299.6M |
| FY2017-18 | $238.2M | $291.4M | $275.4M |
| FY2016-17 | $225.7M | $284.2M | $269.6M |
| FY2015-16 | $215.0M | $252.1M | $243.6M |
| FY2014-15 | $206.7M | $269.4M | $255.6M |
| FY2013-14 | $195.9M | $224.8M | $215.2M |
| FY2012-13 | $190.7M | $222.5M | $210.2M |
| FY2011-12 | $180.9M | $222.7M | $207.9M |
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“Adopted” is the budget as first adopted; “final budget” adds the changes and transfers made during the year, such as grants received; “spent” is actual expense recorded against that year's budget. All funds, as the Controller's budget data files them under this department. Most employee benefits, pension contributions and liability payouts are budgeted in citywide accounts outside any department (see non-departmental accounts), and some special-fund work for departments is budgeted there too, so they are not included. The year in progress shows only its adopted budget.
People and pay
Pay year 2025, the most recent complete calendar year in the Controller's payroll data, with 2024 for comparison.
| Measure | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time employees with active status | 1,373 | 1,372 |
| Everyone paid during the year | 9,367 | 12,590 |
| Total pay | $227.4M | $254.3M |
| Overtime pay | $4.8M | $5.0M |
| Pay per full-time employee | $82,580 | $88,618 |
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“Full-time employees with active status” counts distinct people whose full-time job was active when the Controller extracted the data, the measure the payroll page uses. “Everyone paid” also counts part-time, seasonal and per-event workers and people who left during the year. Total and overtime pay cover everyone paid. “Pay per full-time employee” is those employees' total pay divided by their number. Pay excludes the City's pension and benefit contributions.
Payments to outside vendors
Payments the department made to outside vendors for goods and services, from the Controller's checkbook. Spelling variants of one firm are combined. FY2026-27 is a partial year, through Sep 9, 2026, and is compared with the same point of FY2025-26.
Largest payees, FY2025-26
| Payee | Paid |
|---|---|
| Score Sports | $10.8M |
| Chris Kelley Inc | $7.2M |
| Commercial Coating Company Inc. | $7.1M |
| Asphalt Fabric Engineering Inc | $6.6M |
| Evergreen Environment Inc | $6.1M |
| Los Angeles Engineering, Inc. | $6.0M |
| Playcore Wisconsin Inc. | $5.9M |
| Ford E C Inc | $5.5M |
| Applied Air Conditioning, Inc. | $5.4M |
| City of Los Angeles | $5.4M |
| Best Contracting Services Inc. | $5.3M |
| Rudolph and Sletten, Inc. | $5.0M |
| US Bank | $4.8M |
| The Public Restroom Company | $3.9M |
| Royal Construction Corporation | $3.4M |
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Largest payees so far in FY2026-27
| Payee | To Sep 9 | Same point FY2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Coating Company Inc. | $2.3M | $817.1K |
| Score Sports | $1.7M | $1.7M |
| US Bank | $1.5M | $1.8M |
| Jilk Heavy Construction Inc. | $1.5M | $0 |
| Chris Kelley Inc | $1.2M | $1.1M |
| Sysco Los Angeles Inc | $1.1M | $259.6K |
| The R&J Amusement Company LLC | $1.0M | $0 |
| Rudolph and Sletten, Inc. | $922.4K | $1.4M |
| SMG | $866.3K | $252.5K |
| Ford E C Inc | $858.8K | $1.7M |
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By fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Paid | Payees |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025-26 | $180.2M | 552 |
| FY2024-25 | $168.1M | 516 |
| FY2023-24 | $140.6M | 578 |
| FY2022-23 | $108.6M | 515 |
| FY2021-22 | $75.3M | 476 |
| FY2020-21 | $85.3M | 472 |
| FY2019-20 | $101.6M | 659 |
| FY2018-19 | $99.6M | 695 |
| FY2017-18 | $83.1M | 594 |
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Outside vendors means payments for goods and services from the City's governmental funds, leaving out payroll, benefits, debt, taxes, transfers to other governments and employee benefit insurers (the same scope as the checkbook page). Complete fiscal years only in the yearly table. Names link to a payee's page where one exists; people paid only lawsuit or claim settlements have no page. Every payment is in the payment register.
Lawsuit and liability payouts
Settlements and judgments the checkbook charges to the recreation and parks liability payouts account. They are paid from the City's citywide Liability Claims budget, not from the department's own budget above.
| Fiscal year | Paid |
|---|---|
| FY2026-27to Sep 9, 2026 | $1.2M |
| FY2025-26to Sep 9, 2025 (same point) | $500.0K |
| FY2025-26 | $4.9M |
| FY2024-25 | $2.8M |
| FY2023-24 | $910.0K |
| FY2022-23 | $12.3M |
| FY2021-22 | $3.4M |
| FY2020-21 | $2.4M |
| FY2019-20 | $725.0K |
| FY2018-19 | $7.1M |
| FY2017-18 | $7.7M |
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Totals only. Payments are net of cancelled checks and can change as late entries post. Individual payments are not listed here: the payees are often the people who brought the claims. Every payout account is on the obligations page.
311 requests assigned to the department
Requests in MyLA311, the City's 311 system, assigned to the Department of Recreation and Parks or one of its units, so far in 2026 (through Oct 2), excluding information-only calls.
| Request type | 2026 to date |
|---|---|
| Graffiti Removal | 60,461 |
| Homeless Encampment | 3,613 |
| Park Amenity and Facilities Repair | 1,007 |
| Park Cleanliness, Trash and Ground Maintenance | 860 |
| Illegal Activities (Non-Emergency) | 779 |
| Trees or Pests in the Park | 116 |
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The comparison starts on Mar 28 because MyLA311 began recording requests on Mar 28, 2025. Earlier requests are in the City's previous 311 system, which records the assigned department differently, so the comparison uses only the stretch both years have in MyLA311. Both years are cut at the same moment.
See all request types and council districts on the 311 page.
More about the Department of Recreation and Parks
- Every checkbook payment by the department (the payment register, filtered)
- Search the site for RAP
- All City departments