The Emporia Recreation Commission continued discussions Wednesday of its efforts to pursue a 2 mill increase from the Emporia school board. The increase would provide an additional $355,000 per year for the commission.
Also discussed were efforts to devise two agreements between the recreation commission and the city that will outline each entity’s management and maintenance responsibilities regarding Emporia’s recreation facilities. One agreement involves the Lee Beran Recreation Center, and the other concerns the Jones Aquatic Center.
Tom McEvoy, director of the recreation center, outlined how the additional money would be spent. The recreation center would get 34 percent, or $120,000; 32 percent, or $115,000 would go toward developing new programming; and the final 34 percent would go for capital improvement projects.
The recreation commission currently receives 2 mills per year for the operation of the city’s recreation facilities. Under state statute, the commission is directed to use that money for programming. Over the years, the amount of money available to the commission for programming has dwindled as much of it has to be funneled into maintenance and repairs.
The recreation commission will meet with the city commission next week to discuss the management agreements further.
“Our main goal is to come out of that meeting with agreements we can all live with,” said recreation board member Roger Hartsook.
Regarding the pursuit of additional mills, McEvoy said he recently attended a gathering of recreation directors in Topeka. He said other communities are entering into agreements with their governing bodies that outline the responsibilities of each entity.
“If you look at all of those, they have taken on all the responsibilities we currently have, and that we’ve had for a long time,” McEvoy said. “But they didn’t take those on without funding, and funding was the driver for them to take that on. We’re all backwards on this.”
McEvoy said the commission has identified maintenance and operational costs involved in its operations, and hopes an additional 2 mills would help offset those costs and provide more money for programming and capital improvements.
“It’s hard to put together a capital improvement plan when there’s no money available,” McEvoy said. “... Honestly, our facilities are not adequate. We are behind the curve.”