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The News Hole

Marc Steiner on Auditing the Parks Department

May 15, 2012
By

Chris Delaporte says: Audit the Parks Dept. already. He used to run it. (Photo by: Frank Klein)

Those interested in the struggle (and why is this a struggle? Everyone agrees, right?) to get an audit of the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks ought to tune in to the Marc Steiner Show tonight at 5 p.m. (less than an hour from now, sorry) on WEAA, 88.9 FM.

From Steiner:

“Tune in tonight at 5:00 for a discussion on financial accountability within the Baltimore City government. Guests include: Baltimore City Council members Bill Henry, Carl Stokes, and Jim Kraft; and Baltimore Park Advocate Chris Delaporte.”

Read more from Delaporte at The Brew, where he seems to have a column.

The ongoing, never-ending saga of the “rec centers” will, obviously, continue. It’s part of every discussion, it seems. A couple hours ago, City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young brought the possible/probable closing of several of them up at a Council Committee of the Whole meeting with Schools Superintendent Andres Alonso, who was there detailing the school budget. Young asked about the possibility of the school system taking over operation of some of the centers.

Alonso said that the school system was negotiating for some use of some buildings, but by no means would it be taking over center operations: “There is no such thing as a school system running a rec center for $200,000.”

Young: “That’s a no.”

UPDATE: Audit advocates have started a petition. Follow the link if you want to sign. The goal is 20,000 signatures. They’ve got 37 so far (on 5/16 at noon).

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