State Rep. Cam Cavitt today announced a new legislative plan to add additional layers of flexibility for governance rules that apply to local parks and recreation boards. The legislation would allow counties with populations under 100,000 to reduce the size of their parks and recreation boards from 10 members to 7, saving potentially thousands of dollars in overhead costs each year.

“In large counties like Oakland and Wayne, a few thousand dollars may seem insignificant, but in small, rural counties, that amount can make the difference between retaining or cutting vital services,” said Cavitt, R-Cheboygan. “By allowing for smaller renditions of these boards, we’re making it easier for all communities to have a body focused solely on parks and recreation.”

Under current Michigan law, counties are required to have 10-member parks and recreation boards, which is a larger and more rigid structure than most other Great Lakes states. Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania generally allow counties to set their own board size, while Ohio and Indiana typically operate with 5 to 7 members.

“Michigan’s one-size-fits-all requirement places an unnecessary administrative and financial burden on small, rural counties,” Cavitt said. “Our rural counties have expressed that the current structure is wasteful, as the same work can be accomplished with fewer members, reducing unnecessary per diem costs. Counties should have the flexibility to eliminate waste within their own budgets and reallocate those funds toward essential local services.”

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