ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Active Life Center has recently served as the site of a political debate and a Republican campaign event. But on most days it operates as a place retirees can go to for social activities, like bingo.
Concerns about cuts to the facility's funding from Allentown came up at a recent West Park Civic Association meeting since Mayor Matt Tuerk's proposed budget is expected to be released Saturday.
- Lehigh Valley Active Life Center receives $15,000 annually from the city of Allentown
- Attendance rates at the center are still below pre-pandemic levels
- Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said he will support non-profits that serve the community
Rick Daugherty, executive director of Lehigh Valley Active Life Center, said the center is a good investment for the city’s dollars. About a third of the facility’s members are from Allentown and the site is a destination for many senior citizens in the Valley. Members of the community can also use it for meeting space and political campaigns can rent the space for their events.
Tuerk’s office contacted Daugherty this spring to ask why the non-profit should continue to receive taxpayer funding, he said. He added he submitted a letter arguing why the senior center deserves the funding to Tuerk’s office last month.
Daugherty sends a similar letter every year.
“I think we provide a real benefit. Not only to city residents, but to the city’s economic base because of other senior citizens coming into Allentown.”Rick Daugherty, executive director of Lehigh Valley Active Life Center
Attendance has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, which he says is a hit financially. He said participation is still down nearly 20% from 2019.
Daugherty said losing city funding will make its current shortfall worse.
“We’re struggling this year financially because we’re still waiting on people to come back,” he said.
Daugherty said his general revenue has dropped to about $500,000 from about $650,000.
The city of Allentown contributes about $15,000 to support programming, he said, and other municipalities also contribute smaller amounts, including Upper and Lower Macungie, Salisbury and Hanover townships.
The center has close ties to the city, the executive director said.
It’s a private entity spawned from the city’s recreation bureau in the 1960’s. The first director, Daugherty said, who served in the position for 21 years, was an Allentown employee.
“We’ve had a very close relationship with the city since we were founded,” Daugherty said.
He said having the money from Allentown is critical to convincing other local governments to continue supporting the active life center. Daugherty said South Whitehall Township is also asking questions ahead of budget talks.
“For Allentown to stop us would put at risk funding from other municipalities,” he said.
Mayor Tuerk said that his proposed budget is not yet final. But Tuerk said he believes in assisting all of the non-profits that serve the whole community, especially those that focus on the city.
“So, we’re going to be focused on supporting non-profits in an equitable way and in a fair way,” Tuerk said. “That helps do a very inclusive city service across the city of Allentown.”
Daugherty said he is optimistic.
“The building is paid for, we have no long-term debt,” he said. “We’re positioned in a good place.”
