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The Park Authority supports the County Executive’s budget which recommends a tax rate of $1.01/$1000 household valuation. This proposed rate, increases slightly the support transferred to the Park Authority over 2008 funding levels, provides the necessary funding support to continue existing programs and park facilities including sports fields, recreation and community centers and supports minor increases in fuel, insurance and utilities to maintain parks and centers. This budget proposal stabilizes our base budget. No new programs or parks would become available at this funding level. This flat budget support would require self-generated fees that the Park Authority charges for admissions and programs to increase slightly. This budget level is consistent with the adjusted-for-inflation per capita support that has remained relatively flat since 1992 (page 49 of presentation) for overall county government, which is provided by the most efficient local government in the Northern Virginia Area (page 50 of presentation) as measured by cost/capita.
We believe that we should receive this funding support for the following reasons. The Park Authority is an integral contributor to land and home values – parks help maintain and often increase land and home valuations. Recreation is a significant component of the quality of life that citizens have repeatedly voiced an increased demand for. County-wide recreation surveys conducted in 2002 and 2008 repeated a majority support position for increased recreation opportunities in our community. The General Obligation Bond Referendum which voters approved in 2007 passed by a 77% margin, the highest even in our community. This positive vote supports a stated desire for more recreation facilities and programs for adults and children, not less. However, the Park Authority understands that these are challenging fiscal times, and therefore growth in recreation opportunities will be held back until revenues from the General Fund return to a more stable funding level.
Recently, parks and recreation was recognized as a major component to Prince William citizen’s quality of life (Strategic Issue Analysis study 2007). Parks in Prince William are a major contributor to everybody’s well being, physical and psychological.
The Park Authority is the largest employer of youth in Prince William County. Researchers recognize that it is more cost-effective to give youth a positive outlet through recreation and help young citizens build character through team play than to not offer supervised activities. It is widely recognized that less public funds are required to recreate than incarcerate youth.
March 25th – Emergency County Board Meeting to discuss advertised assessment tax rate. This meeting is being called to further discuss options for setting the tax rate
April 7, (Tentatively scheduled at this time) Public Hearing regarding the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget. The County Executive has proposed a budget for adoption by the Board of County Supervisors. To view the budget proposal click here http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/007754.pdf
April 8, 2008 BOCS Meeting, 2:00 p.m. – The County Planning Director will review the most recent changes made by the BOCS and explain the impacts to park land, open space, and trails and review current and projected inventories of park land and how it is to be calculated.
The Board of County Supervisors recently passed an Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Chapter for Parks, Open Space and Trails. This presentation will review what changes the Board actually agreed to through their recent vote. This is a clarification discussion that both the Board members and citizens should find significantly impacts a number of recreation issues. This presentation will also set the stage for discussions regarding the transfer of 233 acres of park land to a public or private entity. (See below).
April 8, 2008 Public Hearing 7:00 p.m. – Transfer approximately 233 acres of publicly owned land known as Silver Lake.
The Board of County Supervisors is considering transferring a parcel of land currently owned by citizens of Prince William to the Prince William County Park Authority, a private group called the Bull Run Conservancy, or the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. The Prince William County Park Authority believes that this land should remain in the public domain and that the land should remain a park operated by the PWCPA. Currently, park land owned and operated by the Prince William County Park
Authority falls well short of the county comprehensive plan goal of 13.8 acres/1000 residents. Currently, we own or operate less than 10 acres of park land/1000 residents, and this number has been decreasing as the while the population has been growing. Silver Lake will remain a passive park if operated by the Prince William County Park Authority. While this passive operation may not help sports leagues gain more sports fields, it does add over 200 acres of passive parks that will be complimented with active parks as more park land is acquired by the Park Authority. Essentially, all residents benefit if this land is transferred to the Park Authority.
The Park Authority does not support public land transfer to private groups. We believe that public land should remain in the public domain, and under the direct control of elected officials that represent the voters.
If this land is transferred to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, a financial commitment of millions of dollars each year would be transferred to that organization to support the overall operations of the regional parks operated by the NVRPA, all of which with the exception of Silver Lake are located in other jurisdictions.
While the Prince William County Park Authority recognizes that approximately $230,000 would be required to support annual park operations at Silver Lake, we also recognize that there is little to no other opportunity to open and operate a park the size of Silver Lake for this small sum of annual funding support, in the near future. Most importantly, this land would remain owned by the citizens of Prince William County. The Park Authority understands that the Western end is highly underserved through a shortage of county parks. Silver Lake is a valuable public asset that will go a long way toward satisfying this shortage of parkland. |
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