GREENFIELD — Amid budget cuts, the Youth Center coordinator position at the Recreation Department will be eliminated in fiscal year 2027, unless a grant can be found.
Recreation Director Christy Moore informed Recreation Commission members Thursday night that the commission’s counteroffer budget proposal of $290,945, which suggested moving all expenses other than staff salaries to its revolving fund and retaining the youth coordinator position, was rejected by the Mayor’s Office.
“[The Mayor’s Office] made it very, very clear there’s no negotiation. She’s made her decision,” Recreation Commission Chair Donna DuSell said. “We spent a lot of time talking about different ways to fund it. I made it very clear that we would bend over backward, and that we were going to be raising prices, but we’re not going to raise them exorbitantly.”
To help cover increased costs associated with running the Rec Room after-school program, the commission voted last month to increase registration fees from $150 per season or $400 per school year to $250 per season or $700 per school year.
Mayor Ginny Desorgher proposed a $256,863 budget for the Recreation Department for FY27, representing a decrease of $51,682 from the department’s original budget request, and a decrease of $27,985 from its FY26 budget of $284,848.
Moore previously said defunding Youth Center Coordinator Will Hesslink’s position would be detrimental to the after-school program at 20 Sanderson St. She argued that the program is an essential service for a lot of families, and the coordinator makes it feasible.
“The Youth Center coordinator is responsible for program planning and consistency, staff supervision and instruction, behavior management and conflict resolution, communication with families in the schools, and assists in the office,” she said in March. “The impact on our working families is seen with safe child care, stability and routine for the kids. Removing this position weakens a key community support system for them.”
The after-school program, and other programs and events put on by the department, are not covered by the operating budget, but instead by user fees, donations, and fundraisers. The operating budget, meanwhile, covers the costs associated with full-time staff like the Youth Center coordinator, office supplies and computer licensing.
Moore said she is looking into grants that could be used to fund the Youth Center coordinator’s position instead, but if she is unable to secure outside funding, the municipal budget would only cover three full-time staff members.
“I’m very determined to see what our options are. Obviously, from the municipal side, [the mayor] made it very clear that this position and eight to 12 others are going to be eliminated, is what she said,” Moore said. “I don’t know what they are, I don’t know what departments, but obviously the city is under financial constraints.”
During the public comment portion of Thursday’s meeting, fifth grader Liam McDonough, with his father John McDonough, said the after-school program has been beneficial for the family. It provides Liam with a safe place to go after school, make friends and learn new things.
“I get out of school at 2:10, and my mom gets out of work around 4 o’clock. If you get rid of the after-school program, my mom would either have to find a different job or find someone to bring me to my house,” Liam said. “I have many friends at Rec and then I would lose those friends. … I’ve had an amazing experience at the Rec so far.”
John McDonough added that Liam has made friends in other grades through the program, and programming is educational and fun.
“The programs, I am very impressed with some of the things that he comes home and says that they’re doing down there,” John McDonough said. “With the beekeepers, identifying flowers for pollinators, they had remote control airplane people come in … they had a phenomenal time.”
DuSell said, despite the Recreation Commission and community members’ wishes to keep the Youth Center coordinator position staffed, Desorgher told her that cuts were being made across multiple departments.
“She’s not changing her mind. She’s cutting positions across the board and a lot of departments, and that message was loud and clear,” DuSell said. “So we’re gonna get the budget that we’re gonna get.”
Desorgher was out of office on Friday and could not be reached immediately for comment.
