York County Council abolishes Recreation Tax District, backs stipend plan after heated debate

York County Council on June 2 approved third reading of an ordinance abolishing the York County Recreation Tax District and approved a county-managed stipend approach for municipal recreation programs, passing the measure 5–2.

The decision follows months of discussion and a public hearing that drew residents, municipal officials and recreation advocates. County staff and the county manager presented a plan that would end the 1.5-mill unincorporated recreation tax and instead direct county funds to municipalities using a data-driven stipend model aimed primarily at youth recreation, with a modest capital grants program.

Assistant County Manager Tom Couch, who led the staff briefing, said the stipend approach is meant to “fund our parks and recreation services, while at the same time trying to provide a reasonable funding stream for the municipalities.” Couch told council the staff proposal included a per‑registrant stipend (staff presented $75 and $100 scenarios during the hearing) and a capital grants program beginning at $25,000 annually for smaller towns.

Public comment split along predictable lines. Several unincorporated residents urged the council to act quickly. John Gossett, a York County resident, criticized how the old tax money had been distributed and said the county needed a “database” approach. He said, “The way the 1.5 mil rec tax has been distributed up to this point has been haphazard.”

Other speakers urged delay and joint planning. Jim Bradford, who identified himself from York, asked the council to keep the existing district in place for another year and form a joint county‑municipal task force to work toward a longer‑term solution: “Take a step back, take a year to get it resolved for the long run,” he told council.

Several municipal officials and residents warned the change could reduce funding for trail maintenance, therapeutic programs and non‑youth services. William Perkins, who said he uses municipal bike and walking trails daily, told the council that reductions could force the cities to cut non‑youth services: “If the City of York loses … park money, I’m afraid the bike trails, the walking trails … are the first things that are gonna go.”

Council members debated how large the stipend should be, whether to include lifelong‑learning and therapeutic programs in addition to youth sports, and whether to provide capital grants. The council adjusted staff recommendations in several small ways during the meeting and asked staff to continue meetings with municipal leaders to refine detail and data sharing.

The ordinance was adopted on third reading by a 5–2 vote. Following an executive‑session discussion, council also voted 5–2 to authorize the county manager to formally terminate outstanding intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) tied to the abolished tax district so the county could implement the new funding approach.

The council and staff repeatedly said the stipend would be paid to municipalities, not to individual families. County staff said they would attempt to verify county residency through municipal registration data and work out implementation details before payments began.

Why it matters: For nearly two decades the unincorporated recreation tax funded municipal active‑recreation programs used by unincorporated residents. The council’s action replaces that long‑standing mechanism with a county‑directed stipend and modest capital assistance, a change that will alter how municipal rec programs are funded and monitored.

What’s next: Staff said they would continue to negotiate practical implementation details with municipalities, including data sharing for registrant addresses, rules for third‑party leagues, and how to treat out‑of‑county participants. The termination of the IGAs will be handled administratively as the council directed.