Fagan Hoping To Avoid Parks' Cuts

BROOKSVILLE - Every weekend, families get together at local parks, gather at a picnic pavilion near the shade of towering Spanish Moss-draped trees and celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or other events.

Nearby, a group of youngsters may have picked sides for a volleyball or baseball game and are cheered on by onlookers.

So far, those activities will continue at the county's 21 local parks.

But given projected budget cuts, and the fallout from Amendment 1, it's only a matter of time before cutting park hours or other reductions in services may become a reality.

"We know we have to make major cuts and we have to do everything we can to drop the costs of operations," Fagan said. "It's just (a question of) how we're going to do it."

Fagan is hoping that some of the sports leagues that use parks facilities mostly for free will step up to the plate and either donate money or participate more with maintenance.

Other ideas Fagan is considering to save money:

- Charging parkgoers' user fees for picnic pavilion shelter rentals

- Reducing hours of operation

- Cutting back on mowing and other maintenance operations

- Starting a "Friends of the Park" program where volunteers would help maintain parks sites and donate money.

"All we can say right now is that we're looking at every option possible and we need everyone's help," Fagan said.

Deputy County Administrator Larry Jennings said he anticipates "some kind of cutback in the parks program."

"Either that or come up with revenue sources to offset the tax reductions," Jennings said.

In the meantime, Fagan urges parkgoers to do their part and help clean up their waste and garbage to keep the area looking pristine.

Dawn DeInnocentiis, the registrar with the First Hernando Youth Soccer Club, said her league is already taking action.

The soccer club, which uses the field at Anderson Snow Park, is asking members to assume more of the maintenance chores there "to lighten up the county's load so we don't lose service," she said.

DeInnocentiis said her league pays the county $10,000 annually to help maintain the field. It was the First Hernando Youth Soccer Club that originally helped raise money to develop the field, she said.