Local parks, recreational facilities and protected open spaces help make your community a desirable place to live, work and visit.   Your Parks and Recreation departments are a driver for economic development and they offer an exceptional array of services at little to no cost to your citizens.  While state funding for local acquisition and recreation projects has been cut severely and future funding is uncertain, and local departments are being asked to do more with less, the  community demands for recreation must still be met.  How does all this happen and why is it so important, especially in challenging economic times?

An overview of the state’s fiscal realities especially related to funding streams for local programs will be provided and experts from county and municipal departments will show costs and benefits and share best practices.

Moderator:

The Honorable Norman H. Conway
Chair, House Appropriations Committee, Maryland House of Delegates

Speakers:

Gary W. Mackes
Director of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, Wicomico County

Thomas Shuster, CPRP
Director of Recreation and Parks, Town of Ocean City

David Roose
Director, Bureau of Revenue Estimates, Comptroller of Maryland

We hope to see you at this session.  There is still time to register.  Go to the MACo website.