When my kids were little my mom lived in Newton. I loved spending the day with mom and the kids at the Newton Pool. The town I grew up in also had a municipal pool. Before I started to work in the summer the North Bergen Pool was a great place for me and my friends to spend most summer days.
In the 1960's and 70's many towns like Newton and North Bergen built municipal pools. These pools were places where families could have a great time close to home for a reasonable price. In large towns like North Bergen kids stayed out of trouble and off the streets. I'm sure towns like Newton built their pools for the same reasons. North Bergen replaced their pool about 10 years ago but the Newton Municipal Pool is 50 years old and getting very expensive to repair and maintain.
This week Newton's Town Manager Tom Russo informed the "friends of the Newton Pool" the town was faced with about $250,000.00 worth of repairs before the pool could open this year. Over the past 20 years the town has spent more than 1.5 million dollars to keep the pool open.
This week a consulting engineer was hired by the town of Newton to help determine if keeping the pool open is financially viable. Last year the cost of a season pass was $125.00 per resident, $175.00 for non residents and $40.00 for seniors. The pool had about 100 annual members. There were also admission prices for people who didn't want an annual membership. The sad news is the pool's income fell $38,000.00 short of expenses. The reality is more people need to use and financially support the Newton Pool so it doesn't become an unfair burden to the town's taxpayers.
I'm rooting for the Newton Pool.
Source: New Jersey Herald