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Cranford officials defend pool finances as residents press for advisory-board transparency and fundraising options
Summary
Township leaders say pool budgets are audited and staff have cut expenses while residents and volunteers criticized the pool advisory board’s record-keeping and urged fundraising and broader review as membership declines.
Mayor Terrence Curran and other township officials told residents Tuesday that Cranford’s municipal pools are being run on a lean budget and that the town is working to boost membership, while several residents questioned the legitimacy and record-keeping of the pool advisory board and urged fundraising and independent review.
The township committee emphasized the capital budget and investments in town infrastructure but spent a substantial portion of public comment and discussion on recreational pools. Curran said the pool budget has been reduced from about $1.8 million in 2001 to roughly $1.4 million today and that staff and programming cuts have followed declining membership.
Resident Rita Labrutow and others said the pool advisory board lacks published meeting dates, minutes and bylaws, calling for transparency if the township is considering major changes such as closing a pool or converting a site to a turf field. “If they don’t have them, I get it,” Labrutow said, “but it would be advantageous to the pools if you did at least establish a fundraising committee and make it part of marketing.”
Jim Carvalho, another frequent commenter, reviewed historical records and told the committee he could find no minutes or resolutions that would prove the advisory board’s meetings or bylaws. Carvalho said his records requests returned no meeting minutes and argued that, as a result, the advisory board “cannot provide its bylaws, cannot prove if they have bylaws, cannot prove if they’ve ever had bylaws.”
Officials responded that pool financials are audited and reviewed by the township chief financial officer and administration. Curran said the CFO reviewed numbers with a community member (a CPA) and confirmed the figures. “The pool finances are not just looked at by one person,” Curran said. “It goes to an auditor. It’s looked at by our township administration and chief financial officer.”
Deputy Mayor Gallo and other committee members said they are pursuing membership drives, marketing, and programming improvements and would consider fundraising for capital improvements if allowed by the township attorney. “We really have to focus on membership drives and trying to get members,” Gallo said. “Fundraising from year to year will be up and down.”
Speakers pressed for more independent scrutiny of comparative cost estimates cited in presentations, and several asked the committee to publish advisory-board schedules and minutes so volunteers and residents could corroborate figures and recommendations.
The committee approved routine minutes and consent resolutions later in the meeting; minutes and consent votes were recorded by roll call (all members voting yes).
