Wednesday, September 27, 2000
Facility strains budget
By Robert Anglen
The Cincinnati Enquirer
There are only two options for a planned College Hill community center: Scale back the size of the project and risk the ire of residents, or put up another $976,000.
That's how Cincinnati Recreation Commission officials framed a request Tuesday for extra cash to pay unanticipated increases that would bring the total cost for the center to about $4.5 million.
But City Council members said they weren't willing to plunge into taxpayers' wallets without a detailed explanation of how the project's cost shot up some 30 percent more than estimated.
Cincinnati Recreation Commission Superintendent Nathaniel Wilkins blamed overruns on escalating construction costs and the addition of an indoor running track at the center.
“We can't control costs,” he told the council's finance committee, adding that members approved the running track in January.
At that time, however, recreation officials said they could pay for the track out of the existing project budget.
“If additional funds are needed, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission will work with the community on a fund-raising effort to cover the additional cost,” Recreation Director Wayne Bain wrote in a Jan. 4 report to council.
Instead, Mr. Wilkins asked the committee to approve a $1 million transfer of funds slated for a community center in Madisonville to pay for the one in College Hill. He said the money would be put back in the Madisonville account as part of next year's budget.
Councilman Phil Heimlich said this is not the way the city should be doing business, and asked that the emergency request for funds be denied.
Other council members agreed to delay the request for at least a week. But they complained about having two sets of standards: One for neighborhood projects and one for downtown.
“When it comes to the neighborhoods, we have a whole lot of questions,” said Councilwoman Alicia Reece.
“(The city) turns its back on those who live in a manger and writes checks to those who live in mansions,” said Councilman Charlie Winburn.
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