By SULAIMAN ABDUR-RAHMAN
sulaiman@trentonian.com
TRENTON City Council members expressed displeasure over budgeting issues Monday evening during a review of the citys fiscal 2012 budget.
The city doesnt have enough federal Community Development Block Grant money to fund recreation centers, forcing the council and Mack administration to figure out where money can be found or saved to keep the centers open.
If we keep robbing Peter to pay Paul, were never going to balance this thing, said Councilman Alex Bethea. Thats a no-brainer. Finances is not my strong suit, … but this is not working.
City financial consultant David Rousseau said the citys recreation centers are funded by CDBG money and that it became known the CDBG money wouldnt be there to fund the rec center people.
Council President Kathy McBride said, We cant close down the rec centers, because what we have going on in the city with crime, we need those rec centers open.
She said a potential solution to the citys $50,000 CDBG shortfall would be to tap into a $90,000 fund for playgrounds.
At the budget meeting, Trenton Public Works Director Harold Hall and city recreation leader Sonya Wilkins said the recreation centers are popular and provide youths with something positive to do.
