The group overseeing public parks in Murray and Calloway County is raising concerns over the county’s proposed budget for next fiscal year eliminating its parks funding line.
After Calloway County deeded its 50% ownership stake in local park properties to the City of Murray in 2021, the county’s fiscal court had appropriated $90,000 per year to support those parks. However, according to a release shared earlier this week by the Murray Park Committee, the county eliminated this line item in its proposed budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year beginning July 1.
In response, Calloway County Judge-Executive Kenny Imes said in a statement that the county’s proposed budget instead has a contingency fund that nonprofits and groups like Murray-Calloway County Parks & Recreation can apply for. According to a social media post from Calloway County Magistrate Paul Rister, the county plans to allocate $80,000 to that contingency fund.
The local fiscal court held its first reading of the proposed budget at a meeting on May 20. The budget has to have two readings before it can be adopted. Under state statute, counties have to pass their fiscal budgets annually by July 1.
