Keith Greene, chairman of the Catoosa County CommissionCatoosa County, Ga., officials met with leaders of local recreation leagues Monday night to discuss forming an advisory committee that could help the county spend recreation funds more responsibly and standardize play.
Attendees included County Manager Mike Helton, County Commission Chairman Keith Greene and the presidents of the county's three recreational leagues.
"Right now there's a lot of disconnect in how we operate," Greene said. "The only way we can make the county better as a whole is to work together. What I want is to create a collaboration between the county and the leagues."
Right now, the county contributes $15,000 annually to each league. The leagues oversee sports including baseball, football and basketball. However, the leagues say that amount sometimes doesn't even cover their utility bills.
Most of their funding comes from the state's special local option sales tax, which awards each league $500,000 every five years. After being cleared by the county, leagues can put this money toward operations and facility upkeep, and what remains can be spent on improvements and additions to their parks.
Some leaders believe that they could better serve the community by combining their SPLOST funds. Noah Nichols, president of the Ringgold Youth Athletic Association, says that doing so would allow the leagues to prioritize their most pressing issues, noting, "[Boynton Recreation] needs lights a whole lot more than I need bleachers."
Greene also suggested that by working together, the leagues could afford shared facilities like soccer fields. Nichols added that they could buy products from the same vendors which would give all the county's parks a more consistent appearance.
Former president of Boynton Recreation, Scott Murdoch, said that leagues typically charge players around $100 per season, but the actual cost to the league is closer to $180 or $200 per participant. Still, he and many others in attendance hoped that the leagues could lower registration fees. If the leagues can save money by buying in bulk from the same vendors, the savings could be passed on to league parents.
Contact staff writer Steve Hardy at shardy@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6476.