Martinsburg parks director asks Berkeley County Commission to put levy to voters amid projected deficit

Joe Burton, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Martinsburg, asked the Berkeley County Commission on an item from the public to consider putting a proposed parks levy before voters. Burton said the department has not been put on the commission agenda despite repeated requests and wants the public to decide the proposal.

Burton said the parks department closed its last fiscal year with about $4.8 million in expenses and received roughly $597,000 from the county in a mix of hotel/motel funds and an allocation for operations; the county also contributed capital improvement money for Spring Mills Park. He told commissioners the department faces ‘‘a million dollar plus deficit’’ for the current fiscal year and that some potential additional funding is only verbal at this point.

Why it matters: Burton said the levy would allow the public to decide whether to raise local revenue to cover parks operations rather than rely solely on uncertain transfers or one-time capital contributions. Commissioners acknowledged awareness of the department’s financial strain and said they had been discussing joint measures with the city to address operational needs.

In the meeting: Burton asked explicitly that the commission take a vote on whether to place the levy on the ballot. Commissioners said they were working to find alternatives and had met with the city; no formal motion or vote on putting the levy to the public was recorded during the meeting.

Next steps: Burton said he wants the issue scheduled and, if commissioners decline, accept the decision and pursue other options. The commission did not schedule a ballot measure during the meeting; Burton and county staff would need to follow up to place the item on a future agenda if they want a formal vote.