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Bedford Center YMCA reports membership growth and large lifeguard hire but carries deficit into 2025
Summary
YMCA leaders told the city council that memberships and program participation at the Bedford Center are rising, lifeguard staffing has increased substantially, and scholarships of $75,000 have been awarded; the center ended 2024 with a $369,164 deficit and opened 2025 with a first-quarter shortfall the YMCA expects to close by year-end.
New leadership at the Bedford Center YMCA reported membership growth and expanded programming to the Bedford City Council on May 13, but officials also told council members the branch carries a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar operating deficit the association is working to erase in 2025.
District executive director Jacqueline Sotelo and CFO Kristen Lee presented operational metrics and finance figures, describing strong program participation and hiring but also a gap between revenues and expenses carried from 2024. Sotelo described steps to improve customer service and program offerings; Lee reviewed the fiscal picture and association-level support used to stabilize the branch in 2024.
Sotelo said the center’s community programs have seen notable participation: 6,400 members used pickleball open play; 4,317 children used the Y Playhouse childcare program; 602 members participated in the winter “Love Your Heart” engagement initiative; 182 swim lessons were delivered year‑to‑date; and 52 new lifeguards were certified this year. She said scholarships totaled $75,000 so far in 2025 and that fundraising through the association had raised about $55,000 against a $100,000 goal.
“She said the goal is never to turn anyone away,” Sotelo said, explaining scholarship use and outreach. CFO Kristen Lee presented the financial summary and said the branch ended 2024 with a negative $369,164 and a cost recovery of roughly 91 percent. Lee said the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth provided a one-time contribution in 2024 of $577,000 to meet financial commitments to the city.
On staffing and pool safety, Sotelo said the YMCA has substantially increased lifeguard staffing ahead of summer. “We already have 81 on our payroll and 18 more going through the hiring process,” she said, and added that three head guards are training this week so they can certify additional lifeguard instructors.
Council members asked about daily attendance, operating seasonality, rental revenue, and board composition. Sotelo said the center records about 16,000 membership scans per month and that board membership has grown from seven to about 21 active board members since December. Lee and Sotelo also reviewed accounting changes: the association moved from cash accounting in 2024 to a full accrual model in 2025, which staff said will make quarterly comparisons more meaningful.
Lee said the branch budget includes investments in wages made across the association in 2024, explaining a near-term increase in personnel costs. The YMCA team told council the branch’s success indicators will be whether program-service fees and fundraising increase and whether lifeguard coverage holds through the summer season.
The council did not take action on the presentation but asked staff to return with requested daily/weekly attendance breakdowns and for ongoing updates to the fiscal picture.
