Community Centers Long-Term Role Will Be Discussed With Council

Directors of the two North Side community centers say programs will be affected if the city council approves their budgets as is.

But they won’t necessarily be talking about that Monday night.

“You won’t hear me talking about closing the doors,” said Bill Dillon, director of the Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook.

Dillon and his cohort Don Higgins at the West Central Community Center said general fund reductions will mean less outreach by their staff and a less aggressive program agenda for 1996.

Both directors say they already turn down requests from the schools and neighborhoods for more involvement because of time commitments.

“I’d love to be able to cut a travel budget,” said Higgins, “but we don’t have one.”

The reductions amount to about 6 percent in the general fund and would affect basic operations as maintenance, heating, lights and summer recreation.

Some of that amount is made up in community development money for specific programs but directors say that doesn’t solve their problem.

Taken in isolation, the reductions proposed - $4,496 at West Central and $3,179 at Northeast - wouldn’t be a problem if not for expected state and federal cuts as well.

Those are likely to force the centers to scale back anti-poverty and hunger programs that some people think ought to be expanded. They also question if the community centers will be able to get involved in more neighborhood planning issues as Mayor Jack Geraghty is proposing.

It’s the long-term role of the center that Higgins hopes to focus on Monday night and he will present more than 200 letters of support for community center as programs.

“What we need simply is affirmation,” said Dillon. “What keeps us going is public affirmation.”

, DataTimes