Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Mayor Tony Yarber said in a press release on Sept. 14 that the closure of Grove Park Golf Course was due to cuts made by the City Council on Sept. 13. Photo by Imani Khayyam.
JACKSON — The City sent out this verbatim statement this afternoon, apparently in response to the Jackson City Council's cuts to the mayor's budget earlier in the week:
The City of Jackson's Department of Parks and Recreation on Wednesday, Sept. 14, began the process for planning the closure of the Grove Park Golf Course and identifying personnel cuts in response to the City Council's changes to the fiscal year 2016-2017 city budget.
"My Administration presented a balanced budget that did not include closing a golf course or cutting additional staff at the course. Those suggestions came from the City Council," said Mayor Tony T. Yarber. "I'm hopeful the Council will reconsider."
The City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 13, voted to cut an additional $150,000 form the Parks and Recreation budget, referencing the golf courses. The Department of Parks and Recreation had already made $1.3 million in reductions for the upcoming fiscal year. The new budget takes effect Oct. 1.
The full City Council meeting on the budget can be viewed here: