County budget cuts may include Beech Bluff Recreation Center

City and County leaders have made tough decisions over the past couple of months due to the global pandemic and although the rise of cases of COVID-19 in Madison county is slowing… those tough decisions are still happening.

The Madison county commission budget committee met earlier this month to discuss cuts that might have to take place due to COVID-19.

One of their recommendations was to cut the Beech Bluff Recreation Center.

“The county is looking at places to cut and one of the places we’re cutting, or the budget committee recommended cutting, is closing Beech Bluff down", says Director, Ed Smith.

Madison county Parks and Recreation Director, Ed Smith, says it takes about $65,0000 to barely maintain the Center.

“We want to try to maintain the same level of service that we had as much as possible, but there are probably going to be cuts that we have to do and we are just trying to minimize it as much as possible", adds Smith.

Smith says that if the vote passes to close the Center summer camp at that location will not happen.

He says they are working to move summer camp for those kids to another location.

“We’re going to again have summer camp, we are going to move it from Beech Bluff to Rose Hill for the summer", says Smith.

But he says they will only accept about half of the amount of kids that they usually accept due to health and safety guidelines.

The budget committee will meet on Monday may 18th to discuss the future of the Beech Bluff Recreation Center. In Madison county, for 39 news. I’m Imani Williams.