rockhead
March 21st, 2010, 05:26 PM
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/opa/images/newspackages/fy2011-proposed-budget.jpg (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/)
Like most other agencies, FCPA is suffering debilitating budget cuts that will have a negative impact on our trails. In this letter from the park authority board, Marie Reinsdorf explains how you can help:
Dear Trail Enthusiast:
A walk in the park can be just what the doctor ordered. Recognizing the power of this simple, no-cost activity to enhance wellness, the Park Authority has been actively encouraging Fairfax County residents to take steps towards improved health on its 300 plus miles of nationally recognized trails.
People have responded, judging by the traffic in hikers, bikers, strollers, and joggers on the Cross County Trail, the 42-mile centerpiece of the park trail system, and the speed at which our free sectional maps of trail routes, access points and highlights fly off the racks. Also, surveys show that trails, along with lakefront parks and RECenters, are the most popular components of our park system, used by 61% of Fairfax County households.
Now, proposed budget cuts put the quality and safety of the trail network at risk, and that diminishes its attraction and the potential for making Fairfax County a healthier community. Before the Board of Supervisors votes on the budget for Fiscal Year 2011 – July 2010 through June 2011 – we are asking the Board to assess the return on the county’s investment in its parks.
Our park system faces an 11.3 % reduction in General Fund support in FY 2011, a proposed reduction of more than $2.6 million. While we recognize the need for each department to help weather this financial storm, the Park Authority will have suffered recurring reductions of more than $7 million, nearly 28 percent since FY 2007, and 61 positions total.
The impacts are dramatic and you will see the changes. In 1977, we had 60 miles of trails. Today, we have 310 miles, a five-fold increase. But, the workforce charged with maintaining the trails is six percent smaller than it was 32 years ago, and the proposed reductions in the Park Authority’s general fund support for FY 2011 will bring the loss to 20 percent. Eliminated will be 12 maintenance positions with responsibilities that include trail inspections, improvements and repairs.
When it comes to safe and clean trail environments, parks are at the tipping point. We managed to sustain the quality balance as our trail inventory grew over time with no corresponding increase in caretakers, but there will be no escaping the detrimental impact of the proposed cuts. With fewer inspections, slower identification of trouble spots, longer waits for repairs and removal of hazards, trails will become less inviting.
Walking is the best exercise. It’s free, it takes no special knowledge or equipment besides a good pair of shoes, and it can be done safely and effectively by almost everyone. From the perspective of good public policy, walking is a behavior that should be encouraged, not discouraged. In this time of economic turmoil, it’s one form of healthful exercise that everyone can afford. The disproportionate budget cuts directed at parks – 11 percent in FY 2011 when most other agencies and departments are looking at two or three percent losses – endanger an asset that should be protected.
This budget review period provides you with the opportunity to share views on the importance of investments in parks. We hope you will take advantage of it. For additional FY 2011 budget reduction information go online to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/. Share your feedback online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/survey/fy11_budget_comment.htm, or by phone at
703-324-9400. You can voice your opinion by signing up to speak at approaching budget hearings. Sign up online at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speaker_bos.htm. You can also reach out directly to your district supervisor by going online for listings at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board/. Together, we can make a difference and help protect these precious resources.
Sincerely,
Marie Reinsdorf
Trail Liaison
Park Authority Board
Like most other agencies, FCPA is suffering debilitating budget cuts that will have a negative impact on our trails. In this letter from the park authority board, Marie Reinsdorf explains how you can help:
Dear Trail Enthusiast:
A walk in the park can be just what the doctor ordered. Recognizing the power of this simple, no-cost activity to enhance wellness, the Park Authority has been actively encouraging Fairfax County residents to take steps towards improved health on its 300 plus miles of nationally recognized trails.
People have responded, judging by the traffic in hikers, bikers, strollers, and joggers on the Cross County Trail, the 42-mile centerpiece of the park trail system, and the speed at which our free sectional maps of trail routes, access points and highlights fly off the racks. Also, surveys show that trails, along with lakefront parks and RECenters, are the most popular components of our park system, used by 61% of Fairfax County households.
Now, proposed budget cuts put the quality and safety of the trail network at risk, and that diminishes its attraction and the potential for making Fairfax County a healthier community. Before the Board of Supervisors votes on the budget for Fiscal Year 2011 – July 2010 through June 2011 – we are asking the Board to assess the return on the county’s investment in its parks.
Our park system faces an 11.3 % reduction in General Fund support in FY 2011, a proposed reduction of more than $2.6 million. While we recognize the need for each department to help weather this financial storm, the Park Authority will have suffered recurring reductions of more than $7 million, nearly 28 percent since FY 2007, and 61 positions total.
The impacts are dramatic and you will see the changes. In 1977, we had 60 miles of trails. Today, we have 310 miles, a five-fold increase. But, the workforce charged with maintaining the trails is six percent smaller than it was 32 years ago, and the proposed reductions in the Park Authority’s general fund support for FY 2011 will bring the loss to 20 percent. Eliminated will be 12 maintenance positions with responsibilities that include trail inspections, improvements and repairs.
When it comes to safe and clean trail environments, parks are at the tipping point. We managed to sustain the quality balance as our trail inventory grew over time with no corresponding increase in caretakers, but there will be no escaping the detrimental impact of the proposed cuts. With fewer inspections, slower identification of trouble spots, longer waits for repairs and removal of hazards, trails will become less inviting.
Walking is the best exercise. It’s free, it takes no special knowledge or equipment besides a good pair of shoes, and it can be done safely and effectively by almost everyone. From the perspective of good public policy, walking is a behavior that should be encouraged, not discouraged. In this time of economic turmoil, it’s one form of healthful exercise that everyone can afford. The disproportionate budget cuts directed at parks – 11 percent in FY 2011 when most other agencies and departments are looking at two or three percent losses – endanger an asset that should be protected.
This budget review period provides you with the opportunity to share views on the importance of investments in parks. We hope you will take advantage of it. For additional FY 2011 budget reduction information go online to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/. Share your feedback online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/survey/fy11_budget_comment.htm, or by phone at
703-324-9400. You can voice your opinion by signing up to speak at approaching budget hearings. Sign up online at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speaker_bos.htm. You can also reach out directly to your district supervisor by going online for listings at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board/. Together, we can make a difference and help protect these precious resources.
Sincerely,
Marie Reinsdorf
Trail Liaison
Park Authority Board