BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A Baltimore City councilman is calling out what he says is a major imbalance in how the city invests in its children, arguing Baltimore’s Fifth District is the only one in the city without a single recreation center or public pool.
Councilman Yitzy Schleifer, who now represents the same district he grew up in, says his community has long been overlooked, despite years of promises from city leaders.
“That is not something my friends or I knew about while we were playing baseball or basketball in the alleys. We had no idea such resources existed,” said Scleifer, “How do you justify building a fourth rec center or a third one in one area when you have an area that has zero?”
According to the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks website, the department oversees 50 recreation centers citywide. The agency has also invested heavily in expanding and renovating facilities in recent years, with four additional recreation centers and a new pool still slated to open this year alone.
However, none of those projects are located in the Fifth District.
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“When the current director came into the agency seven years ago, at this point, he had told me it will be part of our five-year plan,” Schleifer said, “Well, the five years has passed, and he still has not found a way to service the children of the Fifth District.”
FOX45 attempted to question Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Director Dr. Reginald Moore in person on Tuesday regarding the concerns and whether there are future plans to bring recreational facilities to the district.
Moore declined to speak on camera, directing FOX45 instead to the department’s communications team for a response.
Schleifer said the interaction only added to his frustrations.
“Kind of troubling that the head of any agency in the city wouldn’t be able to just off the bat respond to basic questions that the public has,” he said.
The concerns also come as the department faces scrutiny over how it’s spending your taxpayer dollars. Schleifer criticizing a roughly $1 million proposed increase to the department’s administrative budget.
“That’s a significant increase in his own staffing to make his job easier,” Schleifer argued, “Why are we making his job easier when the idea is for the money to go onto the streets to provide great recreational opportunities for the children across the city, and he’s not currently doing that.”
Late Tuesday evening, FOX45 received a written statement from Dr. Moore defending the department’s investments and future plans for the area.
In the statement, Moore highlighted ongoing improvements at the C.C. Jackson Recreation Center and park, located less than half a mile outside District 5.
Moore also said the department will soon launch a new 10-year strategic plan, known as “The Playbook.” According to the statement, the plan will include “specific recommendations for a future recreation center in District 5.” Moore goes on to say, “We look forward to briefing the Councilman and introducing him to the Playbook in the coming months.”
However, the department did not explain why the district still lacks a recreation center or public pool today, nor did officials provide a timeline for when a proposed facility could become a reality.
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