During a hearing last night on the proposed county budget for fiscal year 2000, the Deer Park recreation council pleaded with the Carroll County commissioners for $29,990 to pave the entrance to the popular Westminster sports complex.

"We need to have that taken care of, both for safety reasons and for the beautification of our facility," said Judy Baker, president of the Deer Park recreation council.

The county's office of management and budget recommended that the project be tabled until 2001.

The recreation council has requested funding to pave the quarter-mile strip of asphalt several times in the past, Baker said.

More than 2,000 people visit the sports complex at Deer Park Road and Route 32 each year, Baker said. The facility holds basketball, lacrosse, football and baseball games.

The Deer Park project falls under the county Department of Enterprise and Recreation, which was created last month when the commissioners reorganized county staff, eliminating one department and consolidating several others.

The office of management and budget has recommended that the enterprise and recreation department receive a 4.06 percent increase in funding over fiscal year 1999 to $1,986,175 for fiscal year 2000, which begins July 1.

The additional $77,538 would be used to cover increased administrative costs, improvements at the local farm museum and Hashawa Environmental Appreciation Center, and construction of a sea wall at Piney Run Park. The office of management and budget also recommended the commissioners give $15,000 to Homestead Museum, the same amount it has received for the past 13 years.

"I think the Homestead Museum does a wonderful job," said Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge. "In fact, I wish we could find a way to extend the hours. It's such a wonderful piece of our history -- the gateway to Gettysburg. I'd like to let the rest of the nation know about it."

The commissioners also listened to comments from the county elections board. The agency's budget is expected to drop by 13.91 percent, from $426,256 to $366,960, as recommended by the office of management and budget.

Neither Pat Matsko, election director, nor Florence Kersey, board president, sought a reversal. The elections board serves the county's 77,328 registered voters.

"We can live with the cuts. We have only one election to worry about next year," Kersey told the commissioners, referring to the presidential election.

But Matsko advised the commissioners that the elections board might have to ask for more funds next year for proposed salary increases and a new statewide database system that will help eliminate duplicate voter registrations.

The commissioners are expected to vote on the budget in May.

Pub Date: 3/18/99