All Dallas recreation centers will be closed on Friday as the city works to close a budget shortfall.
The temporary closure will force some Park and Recreation employees to take an unpaid day of leave. Employees are unable to use paid time off hours to supplement the pay loss.
Dallas Park and Recreation said aquatics facilities, administrative offices and maintenance facilities will remain open on their regular schedules.
The city in June scheduled employee furlough days to combat a $30 million budget shortfall caused by overtime pay, employee insurance claims and low sales tax revenue.
The park department said in a news release it rescheduled its furlough days to August to "minimize impacts on residents during the peak summer season," allowing "recreation centers to remain open during one of the department's busiest times of the year while still meeting the City's furlough requirements."
The remaining furlough days are Sept. 4 and Sept. 28. All Dallas public libraries will be closed those days.
The city earlier this year also implemented a hiring freeze, eliminated overtime for “non mission-critical needs” and suspended non-essential travel.
Dylan Duke is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Dylan at dduke@kera.org.
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