As Peachtree City budget cuts have hit the recreation department in recent years, various youth sports associations are picking up some of the slack financially.
Last year, those sports associations kicked in an extra $122,000, compared to the city’s overall recreation budget for the sports fields: $617,000.
The soccer association, for example, spent $40,000 for the aeration and top dressing of its fields, which previously had been funded by the city, said Leisure Services Director Randy Gaddo.
Those figures came up as the City Council was presented information on the “fenced accounts” for each youth sports venue that comprises of a $5 per participant fee charged at the beginning of each season.
The reason they’re called “fenced accounts” is that the money is set aside to be spent on each particular facility instead of it all being lumped together in the budget. The process was adopted by council in 2004.
Last year, the city amassed a total of $35,000 in all the fenced accounts combined, officials said. Even those funds were steered more last year to the “needs” of the facilities as opposed to wanted improvements, said Finance Director Paul Salvatore.
One example in that regard was funding for field treatments to prevent army worms that could have destroyed the sports fields, Salvatore said.
Soccer Association President Randy Logan noted that the association has put money into repairing other areas at the soccer fields including the fencing.
“If it weren’t for the money we put into the fields, many of those would not be as playable as they are today,” Logan said.
The recreation department and the sports associations account for approximately 50 sports fields used in the city, officials estimated.
