ERC Funding

Emporia Recreation Center is funded through a variety of sources which include:

• Property taxes
• Donations
• Sponsorships
• User fees

The Emporia Recreation Commission was formed by Emporia voters as a joint recreation commission in 1953 to provide local recreation programs for Emporia as provided by Kansas Statutes under Article 19 of Chapter 12. By statute, members of the Recreation Commission consist of City of Emporia commissioners, USD #253 board members and appointees by each of those two entities. Revenues for recreation programs are derived from tax properties within the USD 253 school district. However, the Emporia Recreation Center is a separate entity, although the USD 253 Board of Education has authority over the ERC budget and the City of Emporia owns all property that the ERC programs.

Tax revenues pay for facility-related expenses only, while adult recreation programs are supported by user fees and non-tax revenues, youth programs are supported by user fees and non-tax revenues, and in some instances are partially subsidized by tax revenues from our Youth Fee Scholarship Program.