No swimming: Council committee rejects move to open Aumiller Park Pool

A council member's push to reverse course and open the Aumiller Park Pool this summer failed after the Bucyrus auditor outlined her concerns about the city's financial future.

During Thursday's regular committee meetings, Kevin Myers, R-at large, asked fellow members of Bucyrus City Council's finance committee to consider requesting legislation to move forward with opening the pool. Funding for its operation was left out of the city's 2023 budget in an effort to reduce expenses in the face of rising costs and falling income.

Because of the budget crunch, council members voted earlier this year to put a 0.25%, five-year additional income tax for safety forces on the May 2 ballot.

Myers had suggested using American Rescue Plan Act money, the city's Fund 271, to go ahead and open the pool this year.

Interim city auditor outlines her concerns

After he raised the issue during Thursday's meeting, Kali Lewis, the interim city auditor, read a prepared statement outlining her reasons for recommending against the move.

Lewis outlined how the city's spending has increased in recent years, particularly in paying police and fire personnel. Pool spending went up by 13% last year and this year stands to increase another 24%. Last year, the city spent more than it brought in, putting it in the range of cautionary outlook, according to the state auditor's office.

"As it stands, we do not have enough money in the fire salary account line to pay the department for the full year of their service," she said. "We're going to have to use Fund 271, the local fiscal recovery fund, or ARPA, or we will have to appropriate funds from outside the budget, which will reduce our carryover for 2024, which was $433,006.13 less than our carryover from 2021, a negative 33%. Carryover money is what the city survives on while we wait for revenue to come in throughout the year."

If carryover funds are reduced too much, the city runs the risk of not having enough money to operate until tax dollars for 2024 are collected, she said.

"We cut it fairly close this year and luckily we were able to rely on Fund 271 for the back pay for this year," Lewis said. "Keeping the money which would be used for opening the pool in Fund 271 will not relieve all financial issues the city may have in 2024 if the safety levy does not pass or the tax exemption is not reconsidered. But it would be a slight cushion.

"Ultimately, the decision to open the pool is up to council. I understand and am sympathetic to the citizens who want the pool open, but it is my job to represent the best interest for the city's finances."

The cost of pool chemicals alone is expected to increase $20,000 this year, which means the city would have to spend more than $100,000 in fiscal recovery funds to open the pool, which doesn't generate enough revenue to meet half of its expenses, Lewis said. That money instead could be used to pay safety forces next year if voters reject the levy.

"Fund 271 is our safety net," she said. "It is not a large one and it's not enough, but it's what we have."

She compared herself to "the old man at the gas station warning a new group of rowdy young council members to possibly rethink going to that spooky cabin with the pool.

"The decision is up to you, but we need to at least have a plan in case the guy with the ax shows up — and by that I mean what are we going to do if the safety levy does not pass."

After she spoke, Myers said he still believed the city could move ahead and try to open the pool, but acknowledged Lewis had raised valid points.

Another finance committee member, Mark Makeever, R-at large, said because opening the pool was not in the budget for this year, the city's former pool director and other employees already have found other jobs. He said he's been told there's not enough time to hire new lifeguards and have them complete required safety training before June 1. Pool chemicals have not been purchased yet, and that price has gone up.

Myers observed prices will go up next year, too. "We're going to be paying more for everything every year forever," he said.

Myers makes motion to transfer funds

"Where I stand on it, I'd like to move the money for the pool and put it in the administration's hands and let them at least attempt to get everything in line and that way we've done our job in giving them the tools to try to get it done," Myers said. "And if they can't, then so be it. The other thing is that if the levy doesn't pass, well then maybe that's the time where you can say, well, OK, now we're gonna shut the pool down ... So I think there's a couple different options, I think, for us to try to do the best we can for the community."

Working with figures from Lewis, Myers said opening the pool would require $40,000 for salaries, $600 for telephone, $51,000 for chemicals and $14,000 for operating incidentals, for a total of $105,600.

He then moved to transfer those amounts from Fund 271 to the appropriate budget lines, as emergency legislation.

Dan Wirebaugh, an independent at-large council member who serves as the finance committee's chairman, asked for a second.

"I'm worried about us having a safety net," Makeever said. "I wish the election was in March instead of May and we wouldn't be wondering and sitting on pins and needles whether it's going to pass or not."

The committee's other member, Terry Spiegel, R-Third Ward, said he would like to open the pool, but shared Makeever's concerns.

"We don't want to go in financial emergency — be put in that by the by the state and the state then runs the whole show," he said.

Myers' motion failed for lack of a second.

ggoble@gannett.com

419-559-7263

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Council committee rejects move to use ARPA funds to open Bucyrus pool