Montgomery County Recreation department asks for contract manager, Rapback system and expansion funding; committee places items on reconciliation list

Chair Friedson opened the budget work session and the Department of Recreation summarized its FY27 request as a "cost-of-doing-business" budget that preserves current service levels and responds to recent audits.

The county executive’s recommended FY27 Recreation operating budget totals $71,442,894, a $2.9 million (4.27%) increase from FY26. Council staff highlighted three decision points for the committee: a program manager (1 FTE) to administer recreation contracts ($104,098 projected cost in FY27, annualized thereafter), a one-time $23,305 investment to adopt the FBI Rapback fingerprinting verification for background checks, and a proposed Excel Beyond the Bell (EBB) elementary expansion at Sedgwick School (estimated $429,253 for a full year or $229,626 for half a year).

The department director framed the request as necessary to sustain programs and facilities and to respond to audit findings. "The headline for the budget we're presenting to you this afternoon is the cost of doing business budget," the director said, explaining the program manager request followed two audits that showed contract-monitoring risks.

Carmen Barrios, who leads the department’s administrative team, told the committee that one program manager would bring major contracts and noncompetitive grants "back into the hands of experts," easing a workload currently spread across staff who are not contract specialists. "Right now, one program manager is responsible for administering all 608 contracts that we have," Barrios said, adding that NDAs and noncompetitive grants are more intricate than standard instructor or supply contracts.

Members asked for more detail on how contracts would be split, which contracts would shift to the new role, and whether the position’s cost would be offset by improved contract outcomes. The committee agreed to add the position to the reconciliation list so the full council can see a breakdown and consider phased implementation.

On background checks, the department urged adoption of the Rapback system to better track renewals and identify concerns in real time, particularly for programs that serve children. Committee members described the Rapback investment as a legal- or safety-driven item and asked that be clearly flagged when presented to the full council.

The committee also discussed expanding Excel Beyond the Bell to Sedgwick Elementary. The director described EBB as an outcomes-driven after-school model that tracks truancy and grades in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools. Given FY27 budget constraints, members asked Recreation to return to full council with phasing or tranche options that could make partial implementation feasible; the Sedgwick expansion was added to the reconciliation list with a request for written options ahead of full-council deliberations.

Smaller operational items received agreement without controversy: the committee accepted the annualization of seasonal staff at the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center and a modest staffing shift that may close some indoor pools on holiday weekends to redirect staff to outdoor pools during heavy demand days.

The committee accepted the county executive’s recommended Recreation adjustments as amended and placed the major enhancement requests (program manager, Rapback, EBB expansion) on the reconciliation list for the full council to review with requested clarifications.

Next steps: Recreation will produce written contract breakdowns, outline phased EBB options, and provide staff estimates and justifications for the Rapback investment to inform full-council reconciliation decisions.