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Recreation Department's Budget Projections Include Cuts of 5-10 Percent

The departments budget will be cut for the second year in a row.

The Takoma Park Recreation Department has submitted a budget projection for fiscal year 2012 that cuts spending from five percent to 10 percent from the current spending plan, according to Gregory Clark, the assistant recreation director.

If the Recreation Department’s budget projection for fiscal year 2012 is implemented as submitted, the department’s budget would be cut for at least the second straight year, said Clark, who briefed the Recreation Committee at its meeting Wednesday about the department’s budget situation.

For fiscal year 2011, the Recreation Department had a reduction of about $172,000, but this year (fiscal 2012) they're being asked for an additional five to 10 percent, Clark said. The department completed its budget projections on Wednesday—they are due Friday—and the sections struggled to come up with (cuts) from five to 10 percent, he said.

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The committee requested the budget briefing so when a fiscal year 2012 budget is proposed panel members can appear before the Takoma Park City Council to provide comment on the impact budget cuts might have on programs.

“Last year when the budget was being presented we (committee members) couldn’t comment because we didn’t have it (prior to its submission),” said Cindy Dyballa, assistant chairwoman.

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“If you want our help, you have to give us the numbers,” said Kay Daniel Cohen, committee member.

As part of its comments, the committee needs to protect the most vulnerable (program) participants from any cuts to the Recreation Department’s budget, said Howard Kohn, committee member. In addition, increasing recreation fees is likely to become an issue during the budget debate, he said.

Revenues, generated in part by fees, are considered an important part of the economic equation, and the income could support programs that do not generate as much money, said Committee Chairman Jay Keller. “I like much better that revenue is going up, because otherwise you’re putting programs at risk that don’t deserve to be at risk,” he said.

However, programs that generate a large amount of revenues also have expenditures such as contractors, staff involvement and equipment purchases, Clark said. Nonetheless, the department has “balanced” its budget using revenues, he said.

But if the fees are raised too much, that would cause some people to discontinue using city recreation facilities, Clark said. “If we start raising fees, at some point you have a breaking point where people aren’t likely to come because of the fees,” he said.

City officials have to consider that if the Recreation Department’s fees are increased to the point where the department is turned into a “cash cow, it becomes a different department,” Kohn said.

Takoma Park’s fiscal year 2012 budget is scheduled for submission in April.

Editor's note: The projections in this report are a worst case scenario and just a starting point in the budget discussions. Gregory Clark also clarified that the $172,000 was not a deficit, but a reduction in last year's budget.

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