EMMITSBURG — Commissioners discussed a proposal to ban smoking in town parks Monday night.
Commissioner Glenn Blanchard proposed the ban after witnessing smoking during Little League games and hearing inquiries about a ban from attendees at games and other events in town parks.
Smoking Ban Sign
The proposal drew a variety of comments from residents in attendance.
Resident Larry Little said the charcoal smoke from the barbecue grills in the parks is much more harmful than cigarette smoke. He questioned how much the town government should be involved in controlling smoking.
“How far can we go to regulate people’s ignorance?” he said.
Sister Eleanor Casey supported the ban.
“I think we have to recognize how detrimental smoke is, not only to adults but also to children,” she said. “It’s very important to protect our children and all of us who are sufferers if we are exposed to this smoke and have no control over it.”
Resident Catherine Forrence said that an individual smoker’s rights should not outweigh public health concerns.
“The smoking ban is not meant to make life harder for smokers, it’s meant to make life healthier and more comfortable for everyone,” she said.
Commissioner Pat Joy said that as an ex-smoker, he still finds a ban on smoking in open areas “annoying.” He suggested providing ashtrays or other receptacles where smokers can deposit their cigarette butts to reduce the chance that children will pick them up. He said people who rent park pavilions should not have their smoking rights restricted.
Commissioners proposed placing no-smoking signs in playground areas, at the town pool, and in other similar areas as a “self-policing” method of reducing smoking in these areas. Commissioners will put together a list of these sites for discussion at a future meeting and said they hope more residents will voice their opinions on the topic.
In other business, commissioners voted to set the fiscal 2012 property tax rate at 36 cents per $100 of assessed value, unchanged from the past several years.
Larry Little spoke in favor of a tax increase if it would enable the town to retain a third community deputy. Commissioners voted June 6 to pass a fiscal 2012 budget that reduces the number of deputies from three to two to save the town about $60,000 in the coming year.
“Most people I feel would find this acceptable,” he said. “Safety is a must.”
Commissioners said other options were considered in trying to balance the budget, but maintained that the deputy cut was a difficult but necessary choice.
