Good health is priceless.

Staying active is part of that investment.

Fortunately for the community, a motivated, multi-skilled, multi-tasking Parks and Recreation staff is the prescription for Wrangell’s better health.

When they’re not metalworking to repair lockers at the community center and pool, they’re cleaning, painting, pressure-washing, installing new traction surfaces on trail boardwalks, maintaining park shelters, mowing lawns, weeding and running recreation programs for young and old.

The small crew seemingly works harder than someone training for a triathlon.

What the community may not know is that the Parks and Recreation Department staff is doing it all with less money from taxpayers.

As City Hall has worked to cut the borough’s overall spending, the department is not immune from a slimmed-down budget.

In fiscal year 2024, the borough assembly adopted a budget with $797,000 for Parks and Rec. In 2025, the assembly appropriated $756,000 but the department cut back and spent only $681,000. For fiscal 2026, which started July 1, the assembly approved $634,000 for Parks and Rec. That’s a significant downward trend.

Of this year’s $634,000, about 30% comes from program fees, small grants and earnings on investment accounts. Almost 70% comes from the borough’s general fund revenues, mostly sales tax and property tax receipts.

Don’t think of it as a subsidy for parks, the community center, swimming pool, weight room, childrens activities, recreation programs and trails. It’s an investment in a healthier Wrangell, much like paying the cost of the police and fire departments is an investment in a safer Wrangell.

Certainly, the borough’s finances are tight and City Hall must balance what the community wants with what it can afford. But the town needs to ensure that Parks and Rec continues as a priority. It’s for our own health.