YUMA: Proposed pool closure in hot water
The City of Yuma has announced the closure of Kennedy Park pool for the rest of the fiscal year.
Kennedy Pool is closed for the winter months and will stay this way due to budget cuts.
During the City Council Meeting on December 21st, the City approved the Parks and Recreation Department raising program fees, cutting programs, and closing the pool in order to make ends meet.
“Our Parks Director briefed the council on a combination of program cuts and fee increases, to try to maintain a balance there. One of those was our city pool,” said City representative, Dave Nash.
Nash says they’re not sure if the pool will remain closed into the next fiscal year, which begins July 1st.
For now, Kennedy Pool is the only one slated for closure. Nash says it was chosen because of dropping attendance in recent years and more amenities being offered at the city’s Valley Aquatic Center.
According to Nash, The minimum wage increase, a failed proposal to raise city sales taxes for law enforcement, and the state keeping shared revenues intended for Yuma are some of the factors influencing the budget cuts.
“One of the things that would provide relief for the City would be for folks to contact their legislator and let them know what they think about the idea of ‘sweeping funds’. These are funds that are supposed to come back to cities and counties where they originated, for road maintenance in particular. Let them know that they would like that practice to end,” said Nash.
