[Source: East Valley Tribune, Sonu Monshi] – – Mesa’s $62 million budget shortfall is going to hit city residents, as youth and adult programs get slashed, several swimming pools close to the public, museums bring fewer exhibits and some park maintenance is reduced or outsourced.
Top officials of the Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities Department, as well as the Arts and Cultural Department, outlined their proposed cuts on Monday to the City Council . Parks and Recreation would take an $8.2 million cut over the next 19 months. The department stands to lose 56 full-time equivalent positions, or nearly 23 percent of its positions, beginning in January. That would translate next year to 957 fewer recreation and aquatics programs available to the public. Department director Rhett Evans told the council that could mean more than 50,000 fewer users across these programs next year. The department cut $1 million last fiscal year and the renewed deficit is going to be a challenge, Evans said. [Note: to read the full article click here.]