Update on yesterday’s post about possible Rec Center closings: The Dallas Morning News reports that 34 of 43 rec centers will remain open next year. Budget plans also propose cutting 500 city jobs, mostly at libraries and rec centers.
The good news is, police and firefighters will keep their jobs, but they may face unpaid furloughs or comp time instead of overtime.
Given this news, the question for our neighborhood may be whether we can demonstrate to city council that our LHN Rec Center should be one of the centers that remain open.
Some responses to yesterday’s post about possible cuts indicated that people who do not use the Rec Center don’t want to be burdened with extra taxes. On the other hand, our neighborhood, and the larger city of Dallas, needs to keep in mind that attractive, well-maintained parks are one component of property value.
Another issue is that rec centers in areas where tax revenues are lowest may be the area where the center is most beneficial for everyone by helping to reduce crime.
The Dallas Morning News article indicates that tax revenues have shown a modest upswing in recent months. We can hope this trend continues and may mitigate some of the need for deep cuts.
