Proposed parks and rec cuts panned by Halifax regional council
Staff looking to chop $780K from next year's budget of the parks and recreation department
Halifax regional council has asked municipal staff to take another look at the proposed cuts totalling $780,000 for next year's budget of the parks and recreation department.
The $26.2-million budget includes a long list of changes to a variety of programs outlined by Brad Anguish, the director of the department.
"I will say from the top, this was difficult," said Anguish. "What we've done is a combination of things."
Cuts include lifeguard service at 4 beaches
Among the changes are cuts to the lifeguard service at four of 23 supervised beaches in the municipality. The number of portable washrooms will also be reduced and ongoing maintenance for facilities will be scaled back.
Coun. Waye Mason, District 7 Halifax South Downtown, objected to the cuts to maintenance.
"That's walking back from everything we've been doing for the past four years," said Mason.
Other councillors are unhappy with proposed reductions to support for volunteers, as well as monitors for sports fields.
Coun. Tim Outhit said the budget allocates just $60,000 for protecting multimillion-dollar artificial turf fields.
"One ATV could shred [them] in matter of a few minutes," said Outhit, who represents District 16, Bedford.
Budget session coming up
Regional council has asked staff to come back with the financial impact of reinstating the programs.
The options will be discussed at another budget session Feb. 10.
Mason has also asked for a report on how to increase the budget for the parks and recreation department over the following four years.
"I think we are really in an emperor has no clothes moment," he said. "The parks and rec department is 20 to 50 per cent below other municipalities."
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