The city of Columbus and Lowndes County may partner on a study of the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority. However the county is not willing to slow their plans for the city’s active participation in that study.
Mayor Robert Smith, in a letter sent today to county Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders, has offered to jointly hire consultants to review the recreation authority. Smith’s letter is a response to one Sanders sent on June 9 saying he plans to ask supervisors to consider hiring a consultant at the board’s Friday meeting to “evaluate the current CLRA operation, future opportunities, as well as the current inter-local agreement and provide recommendations for improvement in all areas for our citizens.”
Sanders is expected to recommend the board hire Ramie Ford, of Clinton, and James M. Peterson, of Collierville, Tennessee, to review CLRA.
Sanders’ letter sparked concerns in the city that the county may ultimately seek to withdraw from the inter-local agreement under which CLRA operates. Both entities provide funding and appoint members to CLRA’s board of directors.
Smith requests in his letter that supervisors table a decision on hiring consultants to allow both entities time to partner in the hiring process. He said he plans to recommend the city council join the county in hiring the consultants at the council’s June 21 meeting. Smith said he will ask the council to pay half of the consultant fees.
Smith further suggested that the boards schedule public interviews to evaluate prospective consultants.
Not willing to delay
Sanders said Wednesday morning he’d welcome the city’s cooperation, but he’s not interested in delaying the hiring process.
“If they want to pay half the cost, they’re perfectly welcome to do that,” Sanders said. “I don’t see any reason to delay because we’ve already contacted the consultant. He’s given us a timeline that he can be through by early or mid-August. We need to have something done by August because what he says could have a big bearing on the budget that we have to approve in September.”
“Harry, since all Columbus residents pay county taxes and are residents of the county, it is imperative that as leaders of Columbus and Lowndes County, you and I and our boards work together on this subject,” Smith said in his letter.
Sanders, however, said the consultants would likely work with the city on the study anyway, because many of CLRA’s facilities are within city limits.
“The consultants are supposed to tell us what we need to do to improve recreation in the city and the county,” he said. “I don’t know why the city is so upset about it”
“I’m trying to integrate recreation”
Sanders questioned if the city’s offer to partner for hiring consultants is sincere or if Smith was “playing politics.” He pushed back against Smith’s initial response to his letter.
On Friday, Smith said he opposed the county’s move to hire consultants and that it would lead to “recreation segregation.”
“They plan to break away the county from the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority and start their own leagues, their own parks, their own everything,” Smith said. “Duplicating services will only increase costs and reduce efficiencies.
“This will be a step back in time,” Smith continued. “Mr. Sanders and some of the supervisors evidently want to segregate the parks like the old days. We will be back like we were in the 60s. Let’s call it what it is — recreation segregation.”
On Wednesday, Smith said he doesn’t oppose the study itself, but didn’t want the county to embark on the process without involvement from the city.
“I was never opposed to a study,” Smith said. “I am opposed to a study being done without the participation of all the stakeholders of this important matter… That is all we are asking for and that’s why we are offering this solution to the supervisors.”
Sanders sharply denied Smith’s segregation accusation, saying that existing park facilities are already segregated because they’re in predominantly black neighborhoods.
“What I’m trying to do is integrate our recreation because it’s already segregated,” Sanders said. “Every single park in Lowndes County is in a black neighborhood. There’s not a single park in a predominantly white neighborhood. There’s not one single gymnasium in a white neighborhood. They’re all in the city in minority neighborhoods. That’s segregated.
“The whites are the ones who are getting screwed,” Sanders said. “I don’t know why in the world people can’t open their blinders and see that.”
Sanders went on to say those facilities that are in minority neighborhoods are in poor condition. He said the Plum Grove Community Center has knee-high grass in places and is “absolutely deplorable.”
“Those are minorities that live down there and they’re getting short-changed,” Sanders said.
If I was an African American, a minority, and lived in Artesia, Crawford, Plum Grove, Concord, Anderson Grove or Military Chapel, I’d be livid at what the mayor said.”
Still, Sanders said he expects some opposition to hiring consultants because of race. He said District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith, who is African American, often raises concerns about the condition of recreational facilities. However, he said he expects Supervisor Smith to oppose the hiring on racial lines.
“He raises more hell than anybody in the city or county,” Sanders said. “It’s because of race that he doesn’t want to do it. The mayor is putting pressure on him and it’s crazy. They don’t want to do the right thing.”
The Dispatch could not reach Jeff Smith for comment by press time Wednesday.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.