Politics & Government

Park Authority Board Supports Merger into County Government

The Prince William County Park Authority Board passed a resolution supporting the Park Authority's merger into the county government.

The Prince William Park Authority could soon become a department of the county government, ending its existence as a separate corporation.

The Park Authority Board announced Thursday that it had unanimously passed a resolution supporting the merger of the Park Authority into County Government as a new Parks and Recreation Department.

Park Authority Chair Brenda Gardziel said the decision was based on the need to serve the growing needs of Prince William County's expanding population. "When you begin to factor in the number of residents we have to serve, the amount of park-land to develop and preserve, and the number of participants in our recreational activities, it becomes clear that by merging into Prince William County Government, there will be greater opportunities to meet the growing needs of our citizens," Gardziel said.

Find out what's happening in Dale Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Board of County Supervisors originally created the Park Authority in 1977 as a separate corporation to oversee parks and recreational programs and facilities in the county. At the time, Prince William County had a population of only 150,000 and only three parks. The population has grown to over 410,000 now, and the Park Authority oversees 67 park properties, comprising over 4,000 acres, and 289 fields.

Gardziel said the decision was based on an ongoing dialogue between the Park Authority board and the Board of County Supervisors. The resolution requests the end of the separate corporate existence of the Park Authority effective June 30, 2012 and the creation of a new Department of Parks and Recreation as of July 1.

Find out what's happening in Dale Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If the change were to happen, the Park Authority Board would be transformed into an advisory board to continue providing recommendations to the Board of County Supervisors on parks and recreation issues. The Board of County Supervisors would then assume ownership of all Park Authority property and responsibility for all contractual obligations and liabilities, the announcement said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here