There is a cost for providing services to our seniors at Citizens/ Montevue, for educating our children, for funding

our nonprots who serve our most needy, for our re & rescue, for the proposed WTE plant, our snow removal, trash pick-up...the list goes on and on. These are known as operating costs. They are what are contained in the Operating Budget that is up for public hearing on Tuesday, May 7th at Urbana High School (more information on that hearing in the comment section of this link). IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT RESIDENTIAL GROWTH (AND THESE SERVICES)...you should come to the rally and the hearing, because if we can not afford the services to our current citizens how can we afford services to new citizens?! The BOCC frames residential growth as economic development. IT IS NOT! RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IS ECONOMIC DRAIN! That is not MY opinion, that is a long documented local and national fact with

May 2, 2013

research and data behind it! In 1997, the AgriFuture Roundtable (associated with the Chamber of Commerce) commissioned a study in Frederick from the American Farmland Trust known as 'The Cost of Community Services'. In that study (see the Executive Summary) they found in 1997 that for every $1 residential growth brings in, it costs the county $1.14 in providing services (those found in the operating budget). The most recent report for multiple regions now shows that average number to be $1.19 in costs for every $1 brought in by residential growth. (see comment area for link) Multiply that in terms of the number of new housing units being approved, in addition to the existing inventory of new housing, and the nancial picture for the operating budget becomes a nightmare! So, if you live in an area that is growing and/or has proposed new residential housing - especially those with 25 year DRRAs -

consider doing the math for your area and come to the hearing and ask how it is that we can continue to approve all this residential growth when at the same time we have to cut all these services in the Operating Budget because we 'can't afford it'!!! You can not say we are 'broke/have structural decits' AND approve thousands of new homes...and have any credibility on the facts! Stay informed, stay involved, stay engaged, share with others...and come to the hearing on the Operating Budget with the BOCC! May 7th, Urbana High School, Rally at 5.3pm, hearing at 6pm! http://www.farmlandinfo.org/ documents/30670/ FREDERICK_COUNTY_MARYLAND.p df