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Richardson Community Center seeks $101,542; council asks for audits and quarterly reporting before budget decision
Summary
Members of the Richardson Community Center board requested $101,542 in city support during budget discussions. Councilors signaled broad support for the center’s programs but asked for financial audits and quarterly reporting before deciding funding levels in the budget process.
Lake City — Officials from Richardson Community Center asked the Lake City Council on July 21 to include $101,542 in the coming budget to support operations and expanded programming. Council members expressed support for the center’s role as a recreation and youth-services hub but asked the board for documentation, including audits and regular reports, before finalizing any city allocation.
Zach Paul (identified in the meeting as the Richardson Community Center president) told the council the board seeks $101,542 to support programming and operations, and that the request need not be disbursed in a single lump sum. “We're here tonight … seeking to see if we can ask for the $101,542 that it takes to help run our facility,” Paul said. He described the center’s expanded activities under director Chris Carradine and said the board has assumed payroll responsibility for the center since 2023.
Council questions explored the center’s recent funding history and accountability. Paul summarized recent contributions the center received from the city and county: earlier direct city allocations in 2023 and 2024 and a smaller city disbursement so far in 2025, and he told the council the county provided $125,000 in regular funding in the most recent year. Councilman Jernigan and others praised the director’s work but pressed for financial transparency before additional city funds are committed.
Councilwoman Harris raised allegations she said she had heard about prior misappropriation and described a contentious encounter she had with some board members when she sought information. Harris requested the board provide audits for the last three years; she asked staff to obtain those records and for the council to review them before voting on funding. Paul and vice president Larry Johnson replied that the board has produced monthly financial statements and said they would provide any records the council requested. Johnson told the council: “Every dime goes exactly where it is supposed to and is accounted for every month.”
Council members suggested several conditions for future funding: inclusion of the center’s financial audits and a quarterly reporting requirement to the council, and periodic program updates (including photographs and participant testimonials) to document outcomes. Vice Mayor Young and others urged the council to judge the board on current operations and to partner with the center for youth and senior services. No funding vote was taken July 21; the request will be included in upcoming budget deliberations and council members asked staff to obtain the center’s audit records and to circulate them ahead of the budget hearings.
