The county is expected to commission a study of the Columbus Lowndes Recreation Authority at an upcoming meeting, and Columbus Mayor Robert Smith believes that action will result in a split between the two governments’ joint parks venture.

County Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders confirmed to The Dispatch he plans to propose supervisors hire consultants to review the CLRA.

In a letter sent to Smith on Thursday, Sanders said he expects the consultants’ study 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 will recommend the board hire Ramie Ford, of Clinton, and James M. Peterson, of Collierville, Tennessee, to review CLRA.

Sanders said he’s fielded calls from county residents asking why there are parks in the city, but not the county.

“I don’t have an answer for that,” Sanders said. “I got to looking and they’re right. The only thing the county has is some community centers.”

‘Recreation segregation’

Smith, in a statement to the Dispatch, said he believes “three of the five” supervisors already know what they will do.

“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.”

Three supervisors — Sanders, District 2 Supervisor Bill Brigham and District 3 Supervisor John Holliman — are white. Two — District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith and District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks — are black.

Sanders denied his reasoning has anything to do with race. However, he pointed to a fatal shooting near Propst Park and a home invasion near Lee Park as safety concerns for the city’s park facilities.

“When you have a shooting right across the street from the park where they kill somebody and you have a home invasion near another one in the same week, you wonder why people don’t want to bring their kids into the city to play ball,” Sanders said

“My only agenda is that there are 40,000 people who live in the county and they don’t have the first baseball field to play in.”

Sanders also denied he’s trying to break the county out of its inter-local agreement with the city. Both entities fund the CLRA. Sanders said the county would have to provide one year’s notice before withdrawing from the agreement.

However, Sanders said he’s not opposed to breaking off from the city, if consultants recommend it.

“I want the consultant to tell us what we need to do to improve recreation in Lowndes County,” Sanders said. “If the consultant says we need to do that, then yeah. But if not, then no.”

Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.