County leaders never put anything in motion this week that indicated they wanted out of the interlocal Parks and Recreation Commission.
But they did want to remind the city council of what all the county does provide to local parks and recreation.
President Cobie Collins, of the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors, said it’s a lot more than just the $57,000 that Mayor Diane Delaware said she could raise on her own to operate a separate department for the city of Yazoo City.
Collins said the county contributes $57,000 to the commission. But he said another $45,000 also comes from the Yazoo County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, which he said falls under the county’s umbrella as well.
“They keep saying the county gives $57,000,” Collins said, during the county meeting Monday. “But we give $45,000 from the CVB. The city is not putting in too much more money than we are. We give them a total of $102,000. And they do all the bossing.”
The discussion comes from a proposal spearheaded by Delaware and Alderman Dr. Jack Varner during last month’s city council meeting.
Delaware and Varner said it was time for the city to cut ties with the county and establish its own parks and recreation program.
“We should go to the county and tell them that we’ll take it off their hands,” Delaware said, during that city council meeting. “We appreciate the $57,000, and we know it’s a nuisance to them to have to provide that money. I’ll raise the $57,000 myself. Then we can start charging some user fees for folks who use our parks who don’t live in Yazoo City. That’s what we should do.”
Varner said he thought the city could do a better job on its own.
But county leaders said there is much more on the table other than $57,000.
In addition to the $45,000 coming in from the CVB, the county board said they also provide a multitude of other services to parks and recreation.
Supervisor Willie “Deuce” Wright said he has dirt hauled to the parks on many occasions.
“We haul dirt, whatever they want,” Wright said. “If they said they need 20 loads of dirt, we take them whatever they need.”
Wright said in addition to regular dirt, the county sent about $3,000 worth of special Diamond Pro Turf, which uses expanded shale and clay.
The county board also said they gave the city pieces of equipment towards the program including a truck, tractor, trailer, bush hog and lawnmower.
And the county board said the 32 acres the Wardell Leach Recreational Complex sits on was donated to the city by the county.
“There is a lot more to it than just $57,000,” Collins said.
Delaware’s suggestion that county residents be charged to use the local parks also did not sit well with the county supervisors.
“It would turn into a ghost town out there,” Wright said. “Nobody would be out there.”
The Parks and Recreation Commission cannot be dissolved unless there is a mutual agreement between the city and county boards or through state legislative action.
• In other parks and recreation news, Johnny Staples also appeared before the county board to talk about what he would like to see in the future for the program.
He reminded the board of a proposal that he dropped off to the county board two months ago, detailing his vision for parks and recreation.
He urged the county board to revisit the proposal and to open the door for future discussions with the city council.
“Find a place in your hearts to put it in place for these kids,” he said.
