The city of Everett is facing a potential $13 million deficit in 2019, and the gap worsens from there, according to Mayor Cassie Franklin. The city of Everett needs to cut back on spending to stay financially afloat. These are statements printed in a Herald article dated Feb. 23 and also on the city of Everett’s official website.
In the past four years the city of Everett spent $2 million to keep Forest Park Pool open to the public. In the past year alone the cost was $600,000.
Is the concern over the current budget shortfall truthful? If it is the citizens of Everett and I deserve an explanation why in May of 2018 the city of Everett needed to spend $4,000 to purchase and install two new swim suit spin dryers in the locker rooms of Forest Park Pool. Is this an appropriate expenditure to keep Forest Park Pool open?
Why is $4,000.00 a big deal? In my opinion it is an example of the inability of the city of Everett to differentiate between a want and a need. For over 40 years of operations of Forest Park Pool this expenditure was not needed. Suddenly these new spin dryers were a want, something the pool just couldn’t do without.
So is the spending of more than $2.4 million dollars or more of taxpayers money on a new swimming pool at the YMCA’s new location. Where is this new pool going to be located, just a mile away from the current location of Forest Park.
For over a decade the city of Everett has had budget shortfalls, and until the city can differentiate between a want and a need it will continue. After all it’s much easier to raise taxes than to say no to spending $4,000 on a swimsuit spin dryer.
Steven M. Lay
Everett
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