The idea of possibly closing the swimming pool at the Wardell Leach Recreational Complex in the midst of budget cuts did not sit well with one city alderman.
Aubry Brent Jr. said the Parks and Recreation Commission should come before city and county leaders for assistance before rushing into altering its summer programs, namely the future of the local swimming pool.
The Parks and Recreation Commission was established in the late 1970s, Brent said. The commission is composed of a total of 12 board members; five nominated from the city, five from the county, one from the city school district and one from the county school district. The commission is in charge of the operation and finances of the parks and recreation department.
“Recently, in the paper, it came out that they were having some problems with swimming for our kids this summer,” Brent said. “The city did not do a $1.2 million-dollar bond issue to have the swimming pool inoperable.”
The parks and recreation commission recently tossed around ideas to adjust to over $30,000 in budget cuts. Those cuts stem from the city’s contribution, which was based on state mandates.
Brent said Sedric Hudson, parks and recreation director, said the commission needs to review those financial figures. Hudson recently told The Yazoo Herald that the public pool would likely be closed this summer as parks and recreation makes adjustments to cope with budget reductions after the city provided less money this year. City officials said that the city was following the law when deciding how much to budget for the local parks.
“I do think it was premature to go to the paper and say that we would probably not have swimming this summer,” Brent said.
Brent said if money is a concern, the parks and recreation commission should come before the Board and Mayor and Aldermen and the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors.
“We don’t need to have a recreational complex out there, for $1.2 million, and our kids can’t go swimming,” Brent said. “If the parks and recreation committee does not do anything, that means our kids are going to find some kind of water hole out there in the woods and it will probably lead to a tragedy.”
Mayor Diane Delaware said she has not seen any grants pursued by the parks and recreation commission.
“Perhaps they don’t know how,” she said. “I don’t know, but certainly we have offered assistance in that area.”
Brent said he hopes the commission will look at other options before making any final decision.
“For every child that leaves Yazoo City and does not know how to swim, it’s our fault,” said Alderman Dr. Jack Varner. “That’s the worst thing we could. I don’t care about the recreation. They have got to teach the children how to swim.”
