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Council examines pool, golf course and ice rink as possible cuts; staff say contracts and operations limit near‑term savings
Summary
As part of the budget review, councilors considered closing Potterfield Pool, pausing the municipal golf course and delaying ice‑rink capital work; city staff warned contractual obligations and operational realities would limit near‑term savings and that the rink replacement could cost several million dollars.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. — During the budget work session councilors discussed whether to reduce or pause several city amenities — Potterfield Pool, the municipal nine‑hole golf course and the city‑owned ice rink — as potential offsets to a proposed tax increase.
City staff provided line‑by‑line context and cautioned that those choices have contractual, operational and service consequences. For Potterfield Pool, staff cited estimated FY26 revenue near $93,500 and direct operating expenses listed in the budget book at roughly $301,000; the pool is managed under a multi‑year contract with the YMCA that covers lifeguards and most on‑site operations, staff said, and terminating or pausing the season would still create obligations tied to that contract.
On the golf course, staff said the operation has not been financially self‑supporting and relies on a mix of…
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