Parks and Rec Commission approves 2013 budget

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The Jamestown Parks and Recreation Department will have a reduced annual budget of more than $16,000 in 2013.

The 2013 budget of $1.25 million was unanimously approved Monday at the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commission’s monthly meeting. It marks about a half-mill decrease from the 2012 budget of $1.27 million.

The decrease comes directly from a $27,000 reduction in the district’s share of special assessments.

In other business, the commission unanimously approved a 4 percent cost-of-living increase for all department employees, up from 3.5 percent from last year.

The commission also unanimously approved leasing 25 new golf cars from the company Club Car for Hillcrest Municipal Golf Course beginning around February 2013, according to Pro Shop Manager John Ruff.

The cars each cost about $128 per month for a four-year, full-service lease.

Ruff said the new lease would add five cars to the course’s current total of 20.

“Ideally, I’d like for us to be closer to 30 cars total, but 25 is a good start,” he said.

Ruff proposed purchasing at least three of the 2009 Club Car golf cars that Hillcrest currently leases at the course, but the commission tabled that proposal until a later meeting when it would know more about how much room in the budget it had for such a purchase.

Hillcrest has generated about $42,000 in golf car revenue already in 2012, with Ruff projecting a total of $45,000 for the year. With about $13,000 in lease expenses included, golf car rentals will generate about $32,000 in profit for the course this year.

Sun reporter Brian Willhide can be reached at 701-952-8454 or by email at bwillhide@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, parks, local