Spending on recreation: a long time coming

There are only two words that can describe the Macon-Bibb County Commission’s vote Tuesday to approve the master plans — and the associated costs: At last. The last master plan for recreation was formulated under the Jim Marshall administration in 1998. A special purpose local option sales tax to fund that plan was defeated in 2004 and recreation has continued to languish with many of the centers feeling the weight of four decades without any appreciable upgrades. Southern Bibb has been the red-haired stepchild with nothing to speak of as far as recreation.

All of that is about to change, not only for southern Bibb, but at several centers and Central City Park. And the centers will focus on more than physical recreation, but will work in exercise of the mind with cultural arts, math, technology, engineering and other STEM subjects. We guess there are other words to describe the vote: It’s about time.

This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 10:21 PM with the headline "Spending on recreation: a long time coming ."