Mayor says city has given much more to Parks & Recreation than county

Mayor Diane Delaware said despite the criticism the city has received over its contributions to parks and recreation, the city has provided about a million dollars more than Yazoo County for close to two decades.

During the recent Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Delaware provided an analysis and overview of the contributions to parks and recreation over the last 17 years.

Based on her data, Delaware said the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors contributed about $781,297 to parks and recreation from 2000 until 2017. During that time, she said the city of Yazoo City has provided about $1,726,918.

“I would beg that all our citizens pay attention,” she said. “When I say citizens, I mean the citizens of Yazoo County and Yazoo City. Those are who the two governing authorities have a duty to provide parks and recreation to. I urge everyone to remember that when you go to the parks.”

Delaware said that the local parks are patronized by both Yazoo City and Yazoo County residents.

“We have an obligation to provide services to all our people,” Delaware said. “Their ethnicity does not matter. Their address does not matter. I say that with no beef. I say that with no anger.”

Delaware added that the county supervisors’ contribution does not include funds from the Yazoo County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

“I provide these numbers not just for the drama of it,” Delaware said. “But when folks call me up and tell me what I am doing to parks and recreation and that the city isn’t doing this or doing that…I just think that it’s important that the facts are out there.”

Delaware said that the city of Yazoo City has done and will continue to do its part for parks and recreation.

“The time has come to face this truth square in the face,” she said. “There are going to be who disagree, but the dollars don’t lie. The funding doesn’t lie. While the parks and recreation commission may be upset with Yazoo City, Yazoo City has done its part and will continue to. We will match dollar for dollar…”

“Yazoo City has done it’s job,” she continued. “But to throw shade, as the young kids say, to Yazoo City is not going to amount to much. Each governing authority has an obligation to the citizens who pay taxes to support the parks.”