Mayor Diane Delaware took issue with a recent editorial published in The Yazoo Herald that criticized the city’s reduced funding of Parks & Recreation during the city board meeting Monday.
“I think it was well-intended, but it may have gave some of our citizens some notions about our city that are not true,” Delaware said. “This board has no problems with Parks & Recreation. I also want to make it clear that we do not resent the success of the current director or board – or quite frankly their failures. We do have some disagreements, but our disagreements are fiduciary or operation in nature. If they have needs they need to come before this board with a solid presentation and be able to validate those needs.”
Delaware said she believes the biggest challenge facing Parks & Recreation is that it was established in a manner where it depends on the city and the county to support it, but the levels of support are not defined well enough.
“The Senate Bill that created this program says that the county may levy up to two mills, and the city may provide up to four mills,” she said. “The city has fully funded the parks before, but the county has not. Recently the city made the decision that we will match the county’s funding dollar for dollar.”
Delaware said Parks & Recreation has failed to provide a master plan that is required by the Senate Bill that established the organization.
“The commission says, ‘I need, I need, I need,’ but there is no plan,” she said.
Delaware said the Parks & Recreation board needs to form a master plan and present it to both the city and county boards in a public setting.
“The city doesn’t manage Parks & Recreation,” Delaware said. “They have a board. If you were in a partnership you would expect your partner to live up to their end of the agreement.”
