Trash left behind on a court at Hawthorne Park in Medford.

Increasing trash and vandalism have taken their toll on Medford parks, a city official said while making a plea for help.

Rich Rosenthal, Medford Parks and Recreation director, made an urgent appeal to Medford City Council recently to raise park utility fees to pay for additional staff to help keep greenscapes clean and well-maintained.

“Our parks maintenance efforts are hamstrung by profound levels of trash and vandalism,” he said.

Rosenthal said parks clean-up efforts have increased over the past decade, including during COVID when the homeless pitched tents around the city. Parks employees often work closely with Medford police, who have been removing camps from greenways and parks.

A recent survey of 3,000 Medford residents revealed the top concern is safety in parks and along greenways, Rosenthal said.

“They want their parks cleaner and better maintained,” he said.

Medford spends $6,340 an acre for maintenance annually compared to the national average of $9,642 an acre, he said.

The city has an over-reliance on volunteers to help with the cleanup effort, Rosenthal said.

“If we want to move the needle, if we want a higher level of park maintenance, the cost-per-acre needs to be examined,” he said

Rosenthal pitched three options to pay for parks.

A $2.98-a-month increase starting in July 1, 2025, and increasing by the same amount each of the following two years would add staff and increase the budget for parks maintenance. This option would also provide money for new park development in the faster growing south and northeast portions of the city.

Another $1.98-a-month option for each of the same three years would provide enough for increased maintenance but wouldn’t provide anything for future park development.

A $1.48-a-month option for each of the three years would provide a lesser amount for increased maintenance but not enough to add sufficient staff members.

Ryan Martin, assistant city manager, said the city is already facing a $500,000 deficit in parks, which has halted hiring and also stopped buying fertilizer.

“We have a problem right now,” he said.

The council, which will likely vote on this issue at its Dec. 5 meeting, indicated it understood the problems faced by the parks department, but members said they are worried about raising another fee.

“Rich, we’re in a really tough spot here,” City Councilor Nick Card said. “There are a lot of fee increases coming.”

A series of big fee hikes will help pay for the $300 million upgrade of the Medford water treatment plant on Kirtland Road.

Over the next 25 years, ratepayers can expect rates rising as much as $35 to $45 a month to pay for the treatment plant upgrades.

The park utility fee was created in 2005 at 31 cents a month. It was increased to $2.95 in 2007 to pay for debt service for city parks projects. It was raised again to $5.35 in 2020 to pay for debt service on Rogue X, the new sports and aquatics center in west Medford.

None of the fee increases paid for additional maintenance, Rosenthal said.

The parks department also maintains median strips, flower beds around City Hall and other locations in the city. Some of the median strips are damaged by car crashes that sometimes knock over trees.

The two highest proposed fee increases would also pay for an arborist, more lighting, security cameras and additional vegetation management to improve sight lines.

Councilor Tim D’Alessandro said he’d like a better idea as to what exactly the increased fees would provide before voting on it.

“I’m in favor of finding the right number,” he said. “I don’t know what that number is.”

He said it’s unfortunate the city hasn’t addressed the parks maintenance budget issue previously.

“Nobody wants to raise fees, but the reality is we sometimes have to do what’s best for the city,” he said.