The parks and recreation department is the municipal organizational unit responsible for managing parks, trails, recreation facilities, and community programming. Department responsibilities include maintaining green spaces and playgrounds, operating arenas, pools, and recreation centres, scheduling facility rentals, delivering programs for all ages, and planning for future recreation needs. Staff include parks maintenance workers, recreation programmers, facility operators, and planners. The department typically represents a significant portion of municipal budgets given the labour-intensive nature of park maintenance and facility operations. Recreation advisory boards or committees may provide community input on department priorities and policies.