Department of Parks & Recreation: Calvert County Youth Opportunities Fund Application for Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park
Calvert County Board of County Commissioners · 5060-1 ·
Consent
What the bill says
On the agenda for Board of County Commissioners — 2026-06-09 — 2026-06-09. Agenda section: CONSENT
Background
The Calvert County Youth Recreational Opportunities Fund (CCYROF) was established through Senate Bill 864 during the 2012 Maryland General Assembly session. Funding for the program is generated through a portion of Calvert County's electronic gaming revenue. CCYROF funds were used to acquire the Ward property at 10455 Ward Road in Dunkirk for development of Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park. The park opened to the public in 2022. The fund continues to support implementation of the Ward Farm Master Plan and expansion of youth recreational opportunities in Calvert County.
Discussion
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources administers CCYROF funds. Funding requests are subject to requirements and procedures similar to those used for Program Open Space projects, including approval before expenditure of funds. Previous applications were submitted in 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2025 to support Phase I and Phase II dev elopment at Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park. The F iscal Year (FY) 2027 application requests $1.1 million in additional Phase II funding to address infrastructure and construction needs identified during ongoing project planning and implementation. Proposed improvements include additional construction costs associated with the multipurpose community building and restrooms, construction of an access road serving the maintenance facility and replacement of the existing well system to support current and future park operations and development.
Coordination
Office of the County Attorney Department of Finance & Budget
Extracted from the source document (public record).
Documents
What analysts say
No independent (CBO/CRS-style) analysis exists for county measures. The nearest analog is the sponsoring department's own assessment, from its staff memo — self-reported, not independent:
Fiscal Impact (staff-reported)
Calvert County previously provided a local contribution of $5,734,770 toward the project, representing approximately 31% of total project costs. No additional Calvert County funding is required at this time.
Conclusion/Recommendation (staff-reported)
Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners review and, if appropriate, authorize the Board President to sign and authorize submission of the FY 2027 CCYROF application to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for continued Phase II development at Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park.
Reported by the sponsoring department — Department of Parks & Recreation · Robert Branham, Director · 2026-05-11 in its own memo, not an independent estimate. Source memo.
What politicians say
No linked claims or utterances yet — no one on record has cited this measure to justify a public argument.