JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some are raising eyebrows at the proposal of a billion in taxpayer dollars for Jaguars stadium improvements while nearly half the city’s pools are closed going into the hot summer months because of repairs and staffing shortages.
Some shuttered city pools are growing algae.
MORE: Nearly half of Jacksonville’s community pools are currently closed
The city’s parks and recreation director said Tuesday a big factor behind the pool closures is a shortage of lifeguards, but News4JAX found the 100-plus vacant lifeguard jobs were yet to be posted online as of Tuesday morning. Tuesday afternoon, the city parks department said it is updating its job postings to include the lifeguard positions.
The city budget shows $500,000 has been allocated for repairs and maintenance for its public pools this year, a stark contrast to the funding proposed for the stadium. The budget also shows $677,000 allocated for chemicals for city pools.
As temperatures rose to the 90s on Tuesday afternoon, Diana Ortiz said her plan to take her daughters swimming in their Hogan’s Creek neighborhood didn’t happen because the area pools are currently closed.
“There’s one around the corner, but that one’s closed. And this one is closed, too,” Ortiz said.
There was algae on the bottom of the pool at Emmett Reed Park on Tuesday afternoon. It’s one of 16 Jacksonville community pools shuttered for now. In the Lackawanna area, the pool at Mallison Park is also plagued by overgrowth.
“The humidity is too hot to be stuck inside with your kids,” Ortiz said.
The city announced 18 pools opened for the summer on June 3. Last year, the city said it opened 22 pools on May 28, with another six slated to open in July if the staff was available.
News4JAX asked the city’s parks and rec director about the closures.
“It’s a staffing shortage and supply chain shortage is what we actually have,” said Daryl Joseph, who is the city’s director of Parks, Recreation and Social Services. “But again, I’m happy that we’re actually open around the city...the number of pools that we actually have that are open and available for our youth and families to use.”
A city spokesperson told News4JAX on Monday that nearly a third of city lifeguard positions are open, with 114 vacancies. The pay is $14 per hour, and they are only hiring guards who are already certified.
The city has also budgeted $4.5 million to spend on pool maintenance and upgrades from 2020 to 2027 and beyond, which some have noted pales in comparison to the proposed $1 billion for a total remodel of the Jaguars stadium and the addition of a sports entertainment district in Lot J.
“I think that sometimes the cities invest into bigger projects...not thinking about the community, so just attracting more tourists to come in and like show out a little bit,” Ortiz said. “They should put the community first.”
Joseph said the city is trying to open more pools throughout the summer.
The city also said vandalism is an issue not just at city pools, but the park system in general.
Anyone interested in applying to be a lifeguard this summer can email bealifeguard@coj.net.