Cary keeps at least 90 percent of its athletic fields closed to the public all day. It hires booking agents that don’t live in Cary to provide officials for all sports programs. Most of these officials don’t live in Cary either.

So what does the public get for the tax dollars spent on the parks and recreations department? As a former umpire, I’ve done the math. I’ve looked up salaries, league fees, officials’ fees, etc. I’ve factored in maintenance costs, electricity costs, etc. The bottom line is Cary’s athletic programs lose money year after year.

Meanwhile, our children have to play ball in the street, while public facilities remain closed from sun up until around 6:30 at night. Our tax dollars would be better spent if the town handled all aspects of recreational sports itself.

And letting the children play at facilities that their parents’ taxes paid for only seems fair.

Dominick Ferraro

Cary