KAPE members celebrated last night as the proposal to merge the Topeka City and Shawnee County Parks and Recreation Departments was voted down at last night's Topeka City Council meeting. The proposal, which was drafted by the county and introduced by Councilman Jim Woelfel, failed with six "no" votes from the City Council--including one from Councilman Woelfel himself. If the measure had passed, the city and county Parks departments would have been joined under county control.
The merger was proposed as a money-saving maneuver, but a number of serious questions were raised by KAPE and others. Among them were concerns about city employees currently represented by KAPE, who would receive a steep pay cut and be severed from the bargaining unit should the merger be forced.
Councilmembers Alcala, Ortiz, and Archer, as well as Mayor Bunten, each voted to accept the merger proposal.
Though we breathe a sigh of relief in response to the measure's failure, this may not be the last we hear about the merger issue; Councilman Wolgast promised to keep the idea alive through further research and, he implied, a new proposal in the future.
