City to Pursue Audit of YMCA Pool Operation

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) – The city of Twin Falls would like to continue working with the YMCA, but that could change if discrepancies continue to be found with the Y’s finances.

City Manager Travis Rothweiler sought input from the City Council on whether to proceed with plans to audit the YMCA in relation to its pool. The facility is contracted with the city to manage the YMCA/Twin Falls City Pool at the Y location on Locust Street.

Council members, who did not officially vote on the issue because the topic was only an update that sought input from the council, agreed that an audit in relation to the pool should proceed.

“We have started taking a look at the contract,” Rothweiler said, noting that he and other city officials recently met with YMCA board members and stressed to them the need for the Y to be “good stewards.”

The Times-News broke the story about how the YMCA’s former director squandered hundreds of thousands of dollars and put the organization at risk of losing its national charter. Since then, YMCA board chairman Andy Barry said the organization failed the community and would like to restore the public’s trust.

Rothweiler said the YMCA must be accountable to Twin Falls’ some 48,000 residents, and the city is taking initial steps to evaluate its relationship with the organization. Currently, he said, there is no reason to sever ties with the Y. The city wants to see the audit findings before any decision is made. The city pays about $120,000 for the pool's operation and maintenance.

“The Y has been a very valuable partner with us,” he said, noting the city wants the pool to be a sustainable program for the community.

If it comes to it, however, several other options could be put on the table, including the city taking over management of the pool. The current contract expires in August 2018.