What "More Than 10 Percent" Budget Cuts Look Like for South Cobb Parks, Rec and Art Centers

South Cobb residents may not notice much change in local parks or art centers on May 1 when the revised budget plan goes into effect.

will become a rental-only facility, which is not much of a change, since the county only had five concerts there last year. Organizations or promoters who rented the facility coordinated all other concerts or shows held there in the past few years.

“We’ll still have a skeleton staff for concerts,” said Eddie Canon, director of the Cobb County Cultural, Parks & Recreation Department.

Canon did say that the The Theatre Project Footlights, a drama program for children, would continue to hold their fall and spring productions at the amphitheatre free of charge. The next production is “Willy Wonka Jr.” Performances will take place on April 29 to May 1.

The will probably be open only five days a week, and the center's two part-time employees will be laid off, said Canon.

“Hours will be shortened at all our facilities,” he said. For the , Canon said hours will be “greatly reduced” because there is no longer money for part-time lifeguards.

“When you reduce hours, you’re also reducing programming,” Canon explained. However, he said the department made sure that the summer day camps offered at county recreation centers would not be cut this year.

“Our biggest concern was our summer camps,” he said. “They are really important to Cobb County and their quality of life to have those camps during the summer.”

Many parents need those camps and utilize them as a “day care center,” he said.

Canon said it’s likely the Mable House Arts Center  and recreation facilities would be open during the weekend.

“The weekends are huge deals for us,” Canon said.

As for the various arts classes, meetings and events held at the Mable House Arts Center during the week, Canon said, “We will try to meet the needs of those programs, but there will be some times that they are affected.”

Many of the evening art classes will be taught simultaneously due to reduction in operating hours at the facility.

Parks will still be maintained as they have been, Canon said. However, fees, like those at the , are likely to increase.