Board Requests Hearing on Park Authority Merger

The Board of County Supervisors has requested a public hearing on the potential merger of the county government and the Park Authority.

If the merger goes through, the Park Authority will no longer be an independent entity. An end date for the organization would be targeted for June 30 but no later than Dec. 31, 2012. 

The Park Authority Board supports the merger and has recommended that the county create a Department of Parks and Recreation via the county government to provide all the services being provided by the PWC Park Authority. 

A merger would end the separate existence of the park authority and transfer all “probationary and non-probationary persons employed by the Park Authority as of June 30, 2012 below the executive director level to like status in county employment as soon as this may practically be done.”

The county government will take ownership of all the park authority property in the name of the board of county supervisors – on behalf of all the citizens – and would assume all contractual obligations and liabilities of the park authority before July 2012.

County and park authority staff are working on recommendations to the board for steps concerning a merger.