County support of recreation complex to be decided

EL DORADO — The El Dorado-Union County Recreation Board of Directors will meet today with a firmer understanding of how the county plans to support the facility in the future.

With 2017 budget preparations underway, the Union County Quorum Court Finance Committee has agreed to dissolve a longstanding agreement with the city to share pro rata expenses for the annual operating budget of the complex.

Instead, the county will pay a flat, annual rate.

“We’re not backing out. We’re not reducing what we’re paying. If there’s an overage, we’re not going to be responsible for paying half of it,” Union County Judge Mike Loftin said during a finance committee meeting Tuesday.

Loftin said the county will contribute half of “whatever the (2017 complex) budget is,” minus half of the revenue that comes into the complex for the year.

The vote was the culmination of months of ongoing discussions — and tensions — between the county, city officials and complex board of directors regarding operations at the complex.

Over the summer, Loftin and Justices of the Peace expressed concern about several issues, including how certain line-items in the complex budget are reimbursed by league fees; why admission is not charged for regular league games; and the rental rate for the concessionaire.

County officials have said those and other issues need to be addressed in order to find ways to boost revenue at the complex.

“The city can hire a director out there and put it under their parks (budget) to save money,” JP Johnny Burson said Tuesday.

Financial accounting for the complex flows through the county, who bills the city for its share of expenses — less the revenue that is generated at the complex — each year.

Through Sept. 30, the facility has taken in $25,000

in revenue and has an operating budget of $188,768 county Treasurer Debbie Ray said.

John Turbeville, co-chairman of the complex board, previously said that the board is working to stay under budget, but he cautioned that expenditures may exceed projections this year.

Board members noted that the complex budget has decreased since 2014, going from $192,587 to $184,539 in 2015 and, initially, $173,258 at the start of 2016.

Revenue sources for the complex include league fees and rental fees paid for the use of the ball fields, pavilions, RV sites, banners/ signs, concession stand and a mobile home on the property.

Complex board members are hoping to change the facility’s fortunes with a master expansion and improvement plan that was drafted in 2014.

The plan calls for additional fields, the completion of two existing fields, and parking upgrades — all projects that board members have said will help to attract larger youth tournaments that will bring more visitors, not only to the complex, but also to El Dorado and Union County.

The board has been working to raise money to implement the plan, which had a budget estimate of $1.6 million when it was drafted.

In August, the city approved $185,000 from its El Dorado Works tax to couple with a matching grant of $50,400 from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.

The money is being used to install lights and electricity to the two newest fields on the south end of the complex.

Mayor Frank Hash has also advocated for the hiring of a manager/director, who could organize and schedule tournaments, in an effort to help make the complex self-sustaining.

On Tuesday, Loftin said the county is going to hold off on plans to asphalt the existing parking lot because the work would result in further budget overages for the year.

JP Cecil Polk, a former member of the complex board, said county officials should notify the city and complex board about the decision.

“They’ve been told that we would asphalt that parking lot,” Polk said.