HERNANDO, MS (abc24.com) - The cost of having fun could be on the rise in Hernando. Residents tell the city they want more parks, baseball fields and even a swimming pool. City administrators want to know if they're willing to pay for it.
"People said schools are fine. Hernando in general is fine, and safety in Hernando is great. But they ranked us low on the recreation side of Hernando, which means that we need to improve," said Dewayne Williams, director of Hernando's Parks and Recreation Department.
People living in Hernando like to have fun. In a survey just completed by Ole Miss, 90% of them want more things to do.
"They want a pool that's indoors, an acquatic center, along with a sports complex and baseball fields," Williams told abc24.com.
"You've got city of Southaven, which has a multi-million dollar facility," said DeSoto resident David Kockzka. "Then Horn Lake, which has a multi-million dollar facility and Olive Branch. Hernando is the only one that does not for some reason."
People also want to see more paved walking trails. The city's already working on that. It has a $100,000 dollar grant from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to resurface a local track. There's a long list of wants for a city short on cash.
"I think the citizens of Hernando are willing to get behind things like that and support it financially," said local Doug Hardin.
"Some people said in the survey they didn't mind user fees on facilities or even some type of bond referendum. Others didn't oppose a special tax being put in place to raise funds for specific projects," Williams told abc24.com. "We have many different options and got good feedback."
The next question? What to do first and, of course, how to cover the cost? Hernado has 14,000 residents. About 600 took the survey.
