City Council may grant the Queen Anne Community Center a reprieve from budget cuts that would have considerably reduced its services.
The City Council's Budget Committee met Thursday morning to consider reshaping some of Mayor Mike McGinn's proposed budget cuts. Council general staff had been working on alternatives to the proposal that would have reduced the center's drop-in hours from 54 a week to 15. Now the City Council's Parks and Recreation Committee will vote next week on whether to reduce drop-in hours from 54 to 35 per week. Councilor Sally Bagshaw, who chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee had insisted that services for seniors, toddlers and teens be maintained.
"We're doing everything we can but we've seen from Tuesday [Election Day] that the voters aren't in the mood to pay," Bagshaw said.
Mark Bishop, a staff members for the city's co-recreation soccer league had implored the council not to raise field rates as that would further create disparity among what kids can afford to play and those who cannot. But Bagshaw said, "as sad as it is," the field rates were going to go up. Just how much is still in question.
Queen Anne resident Denise Derr spoke before councilors saying, "There is something wrong with the Parks Department leadership. Community centers should not be touched," she said. "The mayor's budget says cuts should be sustainable. Cutting community centers is not sustainable. They're an established resource. We need to consolidate not eliminate."
Next Wednesday, Nov. 10, City Council will vote on the proposed changes. If they vote in favor of the changes, the changes will go into the budget which Council votes on Nov. 22.
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