Spring is here and summer is coming, but for people who love
softball, Wednesday’s news took some of the joy out of the fair
weather season.
Spring is here and summer is coming, but for people who love softball, Wednesday’s news took some of the joy out of the fair weather season.
The city is considering chopping at least 60 percent of the recreation division’s programs. Mayor Tony Bruscia wants to do away with the entire program.
Softball, basketball, arts and crafts classes and a host of other wholesome activities could be gone as the city desperately scrambles to shrink its $4 million budget gap.
What a loss.
Having a strong rec department is a quality-of-life issue. Good programs offer residents a chance to get outside, have fun, get some exercise and explore new hobbies. They give kids a chance to socialize and develop skills that will stay with them for a lifetime. A recreation division also keeps kids off the streets. Just this week, the City Council formed a Gang Task Force to fight rising gang activity. Losing recreation programs means losing a tool Gang Task Force members could use to divert at-risk kids.
But Bruscia put the decision in stark terms.
“The truth is, we have to find places to cut,” he said. “And, frankly, I believe we have to cut recreation before we cut police officers.”
In an argument between fun and games and public safety, public safety is going to win every time. Even so, we think cutting all programs, as the mayor suggests, is going too far. Are there no other options?
Right now, after collecting recreation fees, the city pays $500,000 to hold recreation programs. If 60 percent of the programs are cut, that subsidy is expected to drop to $200,000.
Make the 60 percent cut. Then make the recreation department its own cost center – make it earn the money it spends.
One way to do that would be to increase participation fees. That way, if people really want to participate, they will have the option to pay for the chance. Approach local businesses about sponsoring leagues. Also, comb through the budget looking for wasteful expenditures. The City Council this week decided not to buy a $30,000 vehicle for the parking enforcer. That was a good move – how many other money pits are there in the budget?
Find a way to save some of the programs, particularly those serving children. Adults can organize themselves into softball teams. Kids can’t.
Public safety must come before fun, of course, but the quality of life in Hollister is what makes it unique. Let’s do what we can to preserve it.
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