As Portland’s parks bureau prepares to lay off employees and pare back services to close a $6.3 million budget gap, Commissioner-in-charge Nick Fish has awarded the new parks director a salary $29,000 higher than the last parks director’s.

Adena Long, who started as Portland Parks & Recreation director last month, is earning $215,000 plus benefits in her new job. She made $182,261 in her prior position as a commissioner with the New York City parks department, said that agency’s spokeswoman, Crystal Howard. Long had been employed at the Big Apple’s parks department since 1997, where she worked her way up from park ranger to senior management.

In Portland, Long is earning substantially more than the prior parks director, Mike Abbate. After seven years in the role, he was making $186,000 when then-Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz forced his resignation in May 2018.

Long’s Portland job classification, created under a major compensation reorganization last year, allows wide latitude for her annual pay: $147,000-$235,000.

Sonia Schmanski, Fish’s chief of staff, said Long’s salary “was set in accordance with the city’s pay equity policy and recognizes both her credentials and the size and complexity of her bureau.”

It’s unclear how Long’s salary compares to that of other bureau directors. Serilda Summers-McGee, the city human resources director, didn’t provide a list of director salaries requested by The Oregonian/OregonLive Tuesday.

But it’s not uncommon for directors of large bureaus like Parks & Rec. to be paid near the top of their salary range. Base pay for the prior fire chief, Mike Myers, was $180,000. Police Chief Danielle Outlaw’s starting pay was $225,750, with a base of $215,000 plus a 5 percent bonus for living inside city limits.

Meanwhile, Fish’s Parks Bureau is preparing for program and staffing cuts to bring expenditures in line with anticipated revenues. He told The Oregonian/OregonLive last month that doing so would be a “painful exercise.”

A slideshow presented to the bureau’s budget advisory committee Wednesday proposed laying off 50 employees, closing the Sellwood Community Center and cutting back programming across the city.

Parks officials say the gap is caused by growing personnel costs and flat revenues from fees for park services.

“The problem is structural and will only continue to grow larger every year,” said parks spokesman Mark Ross.

“Our goal is to put the bureau on solid financial footing while continuing to deliver the high-quality services our community expects,” Ross said. “To fix the problem, we will need to change our business model and streamline the programs and services we offer.”

-- Gordon R. Friedman

GFriedman@Oregonian.com