LOWVILLE, New York (WWNY) – Lowville’s mayor says the cost of the village’s summer recreation program is getting expensive and Lewis County should be doing more to help. Meanwhile, the county manager is pushing back – saying Lowville needs to start being a team player.
“We’re planning on having some meetings to figure out how we’re going to go ahead next year,” said Lowville Mayor Joseph Beagle.
He says the village’s summer recreation program will cost nearly $60,000 this year. That’s $10,000 more than last year. The village pays 70 percent of the bill; the town of Lowville covers the rest.
Mayor Beagle says about 200 kids join the summer rec program every year, and about a quarter of them are from outside the town or village.
“Kind of got to be where we’re taking in more than just the town and village residents,” he said.
The mayor says he has no issue with kids outside of Lowville using the rec program but believes the cost shouldn’t be on village and town taxpayers and that the county should pitch in.
“I sent a letter in March asking the county manager if they would consider funding any part of our programs just to help us out,” said Beagle.
County Manager Ryan Piche responded in a letter saying the county will pay up to $10,000 for this year only. He was also critical of village leadership, saying the village has “continually viewed the situation as a burden for local taxpayers.”
He added that getting the village to provide essential infrastructure to Kraft, and support the county fair and the cream cheese festival has been “an uphill battle.”
Piche goes on to say, “People from Watson or Copenhagen send their children to summer recreation in Lowville likely because they work here, and contribute to the local economy. This is a basic tradeoff that most strong communities gladly accept because the advantages far outweigh the alternatives.”
As for the claim village leadership is lacking, Beagle says that’s not true.
The mayor says the village will continue to accept kids from all over in the coming years, and officials will figure out a way to cover the cost, even if it means charging a fee to all participants.
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