After extended public comment and a longer council debate, the DeSoto City Council voted 4-3 to authorize the Parks and Recreation Department to operate and maintain the new aquatics and recreation center at McCowan Park rather than immediately awarding a management contract to Sports Facilities Management LLC (SFM).

What the council decided
Council directed staff to proceed with in-house operation of the facility under the FY 2026 budget assumptions. The motion to allow Parks & Recreation to manage the facility carried 4-3 after members debated whether to hire an experienced third-party sports-facility operator who would bring national marketing and sponsorship capabilities.

Public comment and testimony
Five community speakers were listed on the sign-up for this item; three spoke in support of operating the facility through the city. Denise Valentine, a DeSoto resident, told the council the ARC should “be staffed by people who live here” and warned against outsourcing positions that could employ local residents. She noted the department’s national accreditation and argued the city should not repeat outsourcing mistakes she said other nearby governments had experienced. M. Renee Johnson, who said she had previously served as DeSoto’s parks and recreation director and later in larger municipal roles, urged caution and asked the council to “issue pause,” stressing the specialized nature of large-scale sports and aquatics management.

SFM and city staff presentations
Representatives of SFM described their role as providing specialized marketing, sponsorship development and operational support and stated that resident data and membership records would remain city property. A city parks representative described the department’s history of local programming and urged confidence in local staff.

Council debate points
Council members who voted to keep management in-house pressed for a city-led, community-focused approach, local hiring and tighter local control of marketing and data. Councillors who favored third-party management cited SFM’s immediate marketing capacity, staffing networks and experience in large-sports facilities; several members proposed hybrid models or shorter contract terms with performance metrics and local-hiring targets.

Vote and implementation
The council’s 4-3 vote approved Parks & Recreation operation of the facility. Council members who supported outsourcing said they wanted an RFP and clearer performance benchmarks; those in favor of in-house management emphasized local jobs and departmental capacity. Council directed city staff to proceed with internal staffing and operations under the approved budget and to return with implementation details, including a plan for marketing, staffing and measured milestones to evaluate performance.

Why it matters
The decision commits the city’s Parks & Recreation Department to manage a major, $55 million public facility. Council members and speakers said the center could be an economic draw for tournaments and regional competition if marketed widely, but they also warned that success requires coordinated marketing, economic-development support and clear performance metrics.