Citizen Portal
Sign In

Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.

Claim Your Spot

Bradley County work session highlights recreation revenue shortfalls and proposes special committee

Bradley County Commission · May 1, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

At an Oct. 13 work session, Parks and Recreation Director Andy Lockhart said recreation programming lost about $31,000 in 2023, $32,000 in 2024 and about $30,000 year to date in 2025; commissioners discussed creating a special committee to study costs and funding options for fields and tournaments.

At a Bradley County work session on Oct. 13, 2025, Parks and Recreation Director Andy Lockhart reported that the county’s recreation program has experienced operating shortfalls in recent years, estimating losses of approximately $31,000 in 2023, $32,000 in 2024 and about $30,000 year to date in 2025. Lockhart told commissioners the county operates 22 fields and that roughly 1,850 youth participate in county recreation ball programs; he confirmed there were no current plans to host weekend tournaments.

Commissioners discussed the financial impact of weather-related cancellations and field maintenance costs. Commissioner Louie Alford urged the county to evaluate the revenue and cost dynamics of hosting events; Commissioner Josh Rogers asked the Finance Committee to examine pricing and funding sources. Chairman Thomas Crye proposed appointing a special committee to study the issue and report back; he asked that Finance Committee members be included along with two additional commissioners.

Chamber of Commerce Vice President Melissa Woody presented economic-impact information showing that regional tournaments can bring outside spending to local businesses, and Lockhart said the department would provide annual field maintenance cost figures upon request. Citizen Caleb Luzader, during communications from the audience, asked the commission to consider increasing firefighter compensation, which commissioners noted for future discussion.

The work session closed after committee reports and calendar items; commissioners scheduled a Voting Session for Oct. 20 and several upcoming committee meetings.