DOUG PORTER: Chehaw deserves continued city’s support

I see Chehaw is in the news again, asking the city of Albany for continued funding — not additional funding, just no further cuts. And what is the response of the City Commission? Well, according to news reports: “Ward I Commissioner Jon Howard said of the proposed cuts to Chehaw’s funding, ‘If not now, when?’”

While I will admit that after 12 years as executive director of the park, I am not impartial. I am, in fact, a taxpaying citizen of the city of Albany (Ward V), and I am incensed at the rude treatment of one of our community’s — and probably southwest Georgia’s — greatest natural assets. This whole dialog implies that our city leaders would be content to continue to cut funding to the park even if it means the park goes away. Our City Commission should have been congratulating Mr. Meeks for continuing to maintain and even improve the Park — in spite of five years of funding cuts — instead of “chastising” him for not bringing enough “facts and figures.”

My wife works for the Dougherty County School System at one of the elementary schools near the Marine Base. She often receives inquiries from Marine families who are being posted to Albany from around the globe. They are, of course, seeking information on the school system — which, she is proud to say, will meet the highest expectations.

What would she say, though, if these families were asking about the community? How would we stack up with other places these well-traveled future residents may have lived? Could she talk about an accredited zoo and an 800-acre public park with a playground, camping, and miles of trails for biking and hiking? Not, apparently, if the City Commission has anything to do with it.

Chehaw park will never, in my opinion, be entirely self-sufficient. No public park is. It will always need to be subsidized in order to remain public, and it should be funded just as sure as the city’s Recreation and Parks Department is funded. I believe the mayor and city commissioners should be asking “How can we help you be better?” NOT “How much further can we cut your funding?” Perhaps they could also consult with the new CVB Board to see how they might view the importance of Chehaw park to their tag-line “Where History and Nature Flow.”

A forward-thinking community ought to be seeking new ways to fund the park, not how quickly they can make further cuts. Why can’t they explore having Dougherty County, Lee County, or even the state of Georgia to provide some financial assistance? Maybe it is time to shift the Chehaw Park Authority from an appointed board to an independent, nonprofit board.

It should not be on the shoulders of the park’s executive director to figure this out. His job is to manage the park. Our job as citizens — and as elected officials — is to provide him and his team the resources they need.

Doug Porter is the former executive director of Chehaw.