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Residents and advocates urge Montgomery County to restore parks and recreation funding
Summary
Volunteers, advisory board members and youth groups told the County Council that proposed FY26 cuts would harm programs, maintenance and access; speakers cited the Parks Department's 7.2% request vs. the executive’s 3.1% recommendation and asked the council to fully fund parks.
Residents, volunteers and advisory-board members urged the Montgomery County Council to restore funding for parks and recreation during the FY26 budget public hearing.
Mike Ricci, chair of the county’s Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, told the council the department’s services are “core” and said the executive’s recommendation would “underfund parks beyond even the most extreme” scenarios the department had planned for. Ricci said recreation staff provide essential programs — from summer camps to senior centers — and asked the council to send a “clear and unmistakable message” that parks are essential to residents’ health and well‑being.
Multiple speakers backed that appeal. Lisonbee Gillespie, a longtime civic volunteer and member of the Montgomery Parks Foundation, noted the department requested a 7.2% operating increase while the county executive recommended a 3.1% increase, and warned that the larger cut would degrade maintenance and programming at sites such as Wheaton Regional Park. John Harding, vice president of Montgomery County Little League, said reductions could make fields unplayable for more than 4,000 youth participants and force leagues to turn families away.
Younger speakers described how parks support youth development. Caden (last name not provided), president of a high‑school mountain bike club, said trails and bike parks are where teens build confidence and community. Ray Heinsman, a Forest Glen resident who volunteers hundreds of hours on trails, said parks act as a safety net when families lose paid services.
Supporters linked parks funding to other county priorities in testimony: coaches and recreation staff provide workforce training and supervision for teens; parks maintain fields used by schools; and frequent, reliable transit affects access to parks and other services.
The public comment period produced no formal action or vote. The hearing record shows strong public support for restoring the Parks Department request; the council’s next steps are committee work sessions and budget deliberations scheduled to begin April 5.
