Belton to Vote on Park Board Status
Posted By J.T. on August 25, 2009
On Nov. 3 Belton residents will decide if the Park Board will answer to the City Council or remain an independent entity.
If voters approve Bill 2009-59, the Park Board will become an administrative board answering directly to the City Council, needing approval before making decisions.
The controversy started in May when the Park Board decided to close the Memorial Park Pool, as there were insufficient funds to bring the pool up to standards and it had been consistently losing money in recent years. City Council members were upset that they weren’t involved in the decision and a month later Councilman Perry Gough moved to revoke the Park Board’s independent status. The Park Board finally acquiesced
The move is an interesting one, as members of the Park Board are appointed rather than elected, and citizens may feel their voice means nothing if they disagree with decisions of non-elected officials.
“I think the voters will decide,” said Park Board President Kelly Monaghan. ” After all, this is all about the community and what they want - not what any one group of people might want.”
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