The Clarksdale Park Commission would not have enough money to open the city pool during the summer months based on the amount of dollars the Board of Mayor and Commissioners would allocate from the general fund.
Park Commission Director John Carraway expressed those sentiments during Monday’s board meeting. As a result, the commission tabled the 2019-20 proposed budget with the upcoming fiscal year set to begin Oct. 1.
Carraway initially believed the Park Commission would have a budget of $337,150 with $175,386 coming from the city general fund and $158,764 coming from ad valorem tax. Instead, Carraway said he learned the city would allocate around $134,000 from its general fund and the proposed budget is just $294,764.
Following Carraway’s explanation as to why there would be no money to operate the pool, the board discussed options. Chairman Joel Litton called for a motion to pass the proposed budget of $294,764 with no money to run the pool, but a motion was not made.
“The budget wasn’t approved due to lack of funding for the city pool,” Litton said.
“That would be the No. 1 reason,” said Carraway in agreement.
The Park Commission meets the second Monday of every month. The next meeting is scheduled for two weeks into the 2019-20 fiscal year on Oct. 14.
While a budget will not be passed before the beginning of the fiscal year, Carraway confirmed the office would operate as usual.
“We’ll basically operate the way I’ve got it set here unapproved until we get to where we can get that approved, but you can’t just shut the door because they didn’t approve it,” Carraway said.
“We’ll continue to operate until the budget is finalized.”
Carraway said the city of Clarksdale did allocate $134,000 for the 2018-19 fiscal year, but circumstances were different.
“We had a little surplus and the mayor (Chuck Espy) wanted us to utilize our surplus,” Carraway said. “We used it all up.”
Carraway said the surplus was used to make improvements to the Sasse and Ford park playgrounds and the Nosef Park tennis courts and parking lots.
Carraway also eliminated lawnmowers, tractors, ball field repairs, maintenance vehicles, four-wheeler vehicles, miscellaneous equipment, small engines and weed eaters from the budget.
“To make it balance, I had to remove all our monies on field repairs,” Carraway said. “I had to totally remove the money for swimming pool, lifeguards and chemicals.”
Commissioner Barbara Morris suggested giving the pool to the city.
“We’ve got to get rid of something,” she said. “We don’t have the money to do anything.”
Carraway said the commission spends close to $35,000 on the pool every year. He added $27,500 went toward lifeguard salaries in 2018-19 and pool chemicals cost approximately $3,000 annually.
Carraway suggested the possibility of going to the Board of Mayor and Commissioners meeting in February 2020 and explaining a certain amount of dollars is needed to open the pool.
“Do you think that pool can make some money some way?” said commissioner Billy Fields.
Carraway said four lifeguards would have to be paid for 30 kids to be at the pool.
Morris said $35,000 could not be raised.
Fields said opening the pool on a weekend could raise $500.
Carraway said hiring four lifeguards to work five hours apiece would cost $200.
“If you charge the kids a dollar apiece, you break even,” he said. “That’s not counting the chemicals and water.
“We need them (city) to step up.”
Carraway said there was talk before the recent elections that the county would step up with funding and make the pool free for everyone, but it never happened.
“Money is tight,” Carraway said. “That’s for sure.”
Carraway mentioned the possibility of the commission still overseeing the pool, but putting the lifeguards on the city payroll.
