PERRY HALL, Md. — It's the talk of the bleachers in Baltimore County: changes could be coming to your local park and the sports played there.
Among other things: a new plan would charge rec councils to use taxpayer-funded fields and change the field permitting system.
READ MORE: Concerns about changes to Baltimore County's rec sports programs
"We are at these parks six days a week, between practices and games," said Jamie Flynn, a Perry Hall parent at Gough Park for soccer on Tuesday night.
"I think based on the general feedback that increasing in disappointment, with the possibility of this, it's safe to say no one actually wants to see this happen, and everyone loses in the end if it does," Flynn told WMAR.
As of Tuesday night, more than 1,700 people have signed an online petition to 'challenge' the new initiative.
"Come fall, if all this goes into effect, the recreation program, and the club program, travel program, will cost more for our parents to play. On fields that their tax dollars have paid for," Terry Nolan, commissioner for the Perry Hall-White Marsh rec program, told WMAR.
A new permit system is one of Nolan's main worries.
"What you've done now is set up to be a fight between the sports, technically I can come in and request all the fields, and if I get them before lacrosse, lacrosse doesn't have fields. That doesn't feel right," explained Nolan.
"I think it's really going to hinder the progress that youth sports make," Flynn added.
"In this updated policy, council recreation-level programs are permitted access prior to council travel, club, or adult programs. Outside groups, (non-recreation/nature council entities and the general public) are permitted use after both the council recreational and travel/club levels," said Bob Smith, Baltimore County Rec and Parks commissioner, in a statement to WMAR.
"The County remains committed to working with recreation councils to address concerns and are in the process of convening work groups with stakeholders, including those who offer travel and adult rec programming," the statement continued.
At a budget town hall Wednesday night at 6:30pm at Dundalk Elementary School, folks will have a chance to give their thoughts directly to county officials.
