fundraising campaign underway

The nonprofit will use the funds to pay for facility upgrades at its ballpark on Capri Drive

by PATTI STOKES

STOKESDALE – Stokesdale Parks and Recreation, a 501(c)(3) that owns Stokesdale Community Park on Capri Drive, is asking for the community’s help in raising $25,000 – and the nonprofit has set its sights on raising that amount by the end of this month. SPR president

Jordan Balmforth presented the association’s need for “critical facility updates” to Stokesdale Town Council members during a budget workshop this spring, and again at their June 12 council meeting.

During his presentations, Balmforth shared some of the nonprofit’s history, along with details about how registration fees, concession sales and business sponsorships have been used to pay for facility upgrades in the past, as well as to maintain its community ballpark and run its youth baseball, softball, soccer and basketball programs.

Balmforth told the council the dated light fixtures on the ballfields are no longer repairable, and the decaying light poles are dangerously leaning over. Replacing the fixtures with new LEDS and installing new light poles will cost over $100,000, far more than SPR has in available funds.

On behalf of SRA, Balmforth requested the town contribute up to $50,000 toward the facility upgrades. SPR has already budgeted $25,000 and he said the nonprofit would raise the other $25,000 needed to match the town’s contribution. After deliberating, the town council agreed to the request, saying it considered it a wise investment in the community’s youth. For its part of the match, the town will draw from the $725,475 it received in American Rescue Plan funds, which it has slated for park improvements.

want to help?

Donations can be made at GoFundMe.com – type “Stokesdale Ball Fields” in the Search bar.

For more about SRA, visit www.stokesdaleparksandrec.com. Questions may be directed to board@ stokesdaleparksandrec.com.

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FY2022-23

I read that Oak Ridge recently contracted with a large accounting firm for its FY 2022-2023 audit, and will pay about $23,000 for the annual audit plus several thousand dollars for preparing required financial documents. As I recall, that’s a lot more than in years past – can you explain why the town is paying services this year? And out of curiosity, what are the towns of Summerfield and Stokesdale paying for these services?

The Town of Oak Ridge recently contracted with FORVIS to perform its annual audit for $23,040, plus $6,000 for writing the financial statements.

There are a couple of reasons Oak Ridge’s cost for these services increased so significantly this year, Town Manager Bill Bruce told us.

“We have a lot of projects going on and a significant amount of capital investments,” Bruce explained. “We set up two additional funds last year (in addition to the general fund) – specifically the Water Enterprise Fund and the Capital Project Fund for the Heritage Farm Park project. Also, the $3M loan with associated paperwork, and a significant amount of grant compliance (PARTF, ARPA, SCIF, etc.) plays into it as well… Generally, I think our books are more complex than (those of) Summerfield and Stokesdale.”

Oak Ridge Mayor Ann Schneider added that the volume and variety of capital projects the town is undertaking, with associated multiple state grants to help fund them, were the

June 29 / MEETING

as reported by CHRIS BURRITT

OAK RIDGE – Mayor Ann Schneider called the monthly meeting to order, with Mayor Pro Tem Jim Kinneman and council members George McClellan, Martha Pittman and Spencer Sullivan present.

John Jenkins, chair of the town’s Finance Committee, offered the invocation, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda

 5  0 to approve the meeting agenda and minutes of the June 1 meeting, the June 8 and June 15 special called meetings and the June 15 closed session.

Appreciation

Finance Committee chair. Schneider