If Hall Commissioner Ashley Bell gets his way today, the county's Parks and Leisure Services department will look very different come September.

Though the county has not come up with a final spending plan for the fiscal year that begins Friday, Bell is the most recent commissioner to come forward with a proposal to keep recreation services intact while working to shore up an $11.5 million budget shortfall in the general operations budget.

Commissioner Billy Powell likely also will present a proposal for funding the department at today's commission meetings, though he wouldn't say Wednesday exactly what the plan entails.

As county officials have looked for ways to bridge the revenue gap, recreation programs, like the future of other departments, have hung in limbo.

Two additional public hearings will be held on the budget today, one at noon and the other at 6 p.m.

Previous proposals have included a threat to shut down the county's nearly $3 million per year parks department completely, leaving about $550,000 in the department's budget for privatization.

The final decision on the budget will be made at tonight's commission meeting, which immediately follows the 6 p.m. public hearing.

Another option from Chairman Tom Oliver required a tax increase but kept the department running at nearly the status quo, minus about one-third of its maintenance employees.

Residents railed against the first proposal. And Oliver has said his plan has no hope of passing.

But Bell says the proposal he'll lay on the table today buys the county time to consider all its options for funding the department, comparing each option's costs and benefits in an "a la carte" manner.

Bell's plan is to set aside about half a million dollars to fund the department at its current level until September. He would then allocate an additional $250,000 to the previously budgeted $550,000 in startup funds for a future incarnation of the department, said Lisa Johnsa, interim finance director for the county.

Specifically, he has mentioned two alternatives to the operation. One would give a large measure of control over recreation programs to one or both of two nonprofit organizations: the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County.

The other would mean raising fees enough for parks events and programs to allow the department to recuperate as much as 50 percent of its costs with user fees.

Whichever option commissioners go with, Bell said, will cost less than it does now. In the current fiscal year, the county spent about $2.8 million on recreation centers and youth activities.

A round of layoffs and other cuts made in the last week has already reduced the department's future fiscal year budget by a little more than $600,000, according to Johnsa.

"Making this move is going to be cost-efficient," Bell said.

Though Bell said 50 percent is not a concrete request, he said parks department leaders have been charged with discovering how close they can bring the department to self-sufficiency, and at least finance it "to a level that the commission is comfortable with matching that funding."

Bell has also asked both the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA to come up with a plan for running the parks department.

Since both the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs are already in the recreation business, partnering with the nonprofits would be a transition that could be accomplished by September, Bell said.

It could mean that some 25 county-paid parks and leisure employees lose their jobs, however.

Bell says he hopes the nonprofit plan will mean county employees will fill the new jobs in the recreation programs. Part of the nonprofits' assessment of the recreation program would be determining whether they could hire current county employees, Bell said.

"I've been very direct with them that we would like to see them hire county employees," Bell said.

The change would likely require contracts that delineate the county's and the nonprofits' risks and responsibilities and the duties of maintenance of the parks' facilities.

Bell cites the YMCA's ability to take over parks departments in White and Lumpkin counties as examples of the ease of a nonprofit takeover of government-run recreation departments. In those counties, Bell said, the nonprofit hired a "vast majority" of the existing recreation employees.

"Everyone I've talked to in White and Lumpkin counties feels like they've done a good job," Bell said.

But he also hopes the YMCA's involvement will also include some sort of partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, which Bell admits, is "different from what they normally do."

Georgia Mountains YMCA Chief Operating Officer Rich Gallagher did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. But Joyce Wilson, a vice president for development and marketing of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County, said the clubs' leadership had not yet had a chance to discuss the county's request.

The clubs already partner with Gainesville's Parks and Recreation Department, providing youth soccer and basketball programs in the city while the city provides football and baseball.

Wilson said that partnership works well. She said she met with a group of county officials and YMCA officials Tuesday, and the Boys & Girls Clubs does plan to evaluate the county's situation.

"We'll look at what our strengths are, and see if that's something that we might be able to do and expand some of our services," Wilson said.

Such an evaluation could take at least 45 days to complete, Wilson said. Organization leaders have not moved beyond Tuesday's meeting yet, however.

"Anything we can do to help the citizens of Hall County, we'll be glad to do that," Wilson said. "We're not interested in taking over all the programs and services."

Parks and Leisure Services Director Greg Walker did not return a call seeking comment on the proposal Tuesday.

Commissioner Craig Lutz has said he supports Bell's plan. Commissioner Scott Gibbs has not returned calls seeking comment on the plan.

Oliver has remained behind his own plan.

And Powell, who serves as the ex-officio member of the board of directors for the parks department, says he doesn't think Bell's plan gives the county enough time to transition into a privatized recreation program.

Asked of his opinion of Bell's plan, Powell simply stated "I don't like it."

Powell's main problem with Bell's plan, he said, was that it doesn't allow for funding beyond September.

Powell said he knew there were possibilities for generating revenue with the Chicopee Agricultural Center with a rate increase of 8 to 10 percent. He also said he favored requiring organizations that used the facility for free to pay at least the costs the county incurred by hosting the events.

"They would, at an absolute minimum, have to pay our direct, out-of-pocket costs, so it's not a loss ... but it would not be a drain (on county coffers)," Powell said.