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St. Mary’s Recreation and Parks outlines programs, facility budgets and gaps including lifeguard shortages
Summary
Recreation and Parks Director Arthur Shepherd briefed the YMCA exploratory committee on county recreation facilities, budgets and programs. He outlined operating models, enterprise fund revenues and deficits at several sites, staffing challenges (notably lifeguards), and gaps in northern-county facilities and teen programming.
Arthur Shepherd, director of St. Mary’s County Recreation and Parks, gave a comprehensive overview of the department’s facilities, programming model and finances to the YMCA Local Exploratory Committee, describing how programs are funded, which sites run surpluses or deficits and where the department sees gaps that a community partner could help fill.
Shepherd said the department operates 21 parks, three waterfront parks, more than a dozen playgrounds and multiple indoor recreation sites. The department’s combined operating budget — general fund plus two enterprise funds (golf and recreation) — is roughly $10 million; 43% is general fund support while enterprise revenues cover about half the costs of enterprise programs. Shepherd said that local taxation supports roughly two cents of every tax dollar for recreation…
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