Licking County parks likely will close for winter

Licking County parks likely will close for winter
Commissioners ask park district to separate out bike trail maintenance
Nov 17, 2010
Written by
AMY HOLLON
NEWARK — The Licking Park District almost certainly will have to close its parks during the winter months after Tuesday’s budget hearing with the Licking County Commissioners, and further cuts might be needed. The commissioners have asked district officials to cut at least 5 percent from the $260,000 received in 2010, cutting their budget to about $247,000, but park leaders have told commissioners they cannot operate on a budget of less than $386,000. Although the district makes some money through events, it is reliant on the commissioners for the majority of funding. The district has not formed a plan based on a $247,000 budget, but the commissioners say the possibility of more money is slim. “Based on what I hear, it would be very difficult in the environment we are in to imagine we would go backward and give them an increase when we are asking everyone else for a decrease,” Commissioner Tim Bubb said after the meeting. The commissioners also asked district officials to separate out the costs to maintain the bike trails versus the operation of the parks. Although the commissioners are not required to give money to the park district, they are bound by contract to pay for maintenance of the bike trails in unincorporated areas’¦