The Southside Park pool, a hard-won oasis for central-city families, could see its hours slashed this summer as Sacramento leaders look for ways to close a roughly $66 million budget gap. Under a draft plan, the city would trim operating days at the downtown pool while shifting schedules around the rest of the city, a move that could also affect about 46 filled positions. Neighbors who fought to bring the pool back from years of disrepair say cutting hours now would land hardest on low-income kids and families who rely on it when the temperatures spike.
Budget proposals would shrink programming
City staff have laid out recommendations aimed at closing a roughly $66.2 million shortfall that include cutting or eliminating funding for dozens of filled positions and nearly 100 vacant jobs, according to The Sacramento Bee. In that package, reducing swimming pool operations to about three days a week appears as one of the potential service cutbacks.
Potential pool reductions
For Southside Park, those cuts could bite especially hard. Neighborhood leaders told reporters the central-city pool might only open a few days a week while the Clunie, North Natomas and Meadowview pools would have expanded schedules, CBS Sacramento reports. Advocates argue Southside is the only public pool serving much of central Sacramento and warn that shrinking its hours would disproportionately affect low-income families and local youth.
A pool fought for and fixed
The potential rollback comes barely a year after Southside Park's pool finally reopened following repairs backed by a state grant. The city approved about a $600,000 contract to fix up the facility at 2107 Sixth Street, according to Yahoo News. The work followed a 2022 closure, when swimmers reported rashes that were linked to the pool's failing fiberglass finish.
Neighbors push back
"How is that fair?" Southside Park Neighborhood Association president Marni Leger asked after hearing the staff proposal, noting that repeated closures had already driven down pool pass numbers, CBS Sacramento reports. Leger said neighbors have applied for nonprofit funding and are trying to raise about $25,000 to help cover lifeguard staffing if the city follows through on reducing support.
What comes next
City Manager Maraskeshia Smith's recommendations are headed to public budget hearings this month, and the City Council is expected to adopt a balanced budget in June, according to The Sacramento Bee. Residents who want to track the debate or weigh in can find agendas, staff reports and meeting times on the City Clerk's meeting portal.
