Their message was simple and unified.

Of the 19 people who spoke during the public hearing on Washington’s proposed budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year, 18 of them told the City Council not to close the city-owned pool. The possibility of closing the pool, open for 14 years was discussed during one of the council’s budget-work session in April. The speakers also oppose reducing the pool’s hours of operations. Speakers included Washington High School swim team members, swim team coaches and people who used the pool for exercise and/or physical therapy.

The pool costs the city more to operate than the revenue it generates through fees charged for people to use the pool.

At the budget session in late April, Councilman Doug Mercer initiated discussion about the pool. It’s time for the council to decide if the city is “going to stay in the pool business or are we going to get out of the pool business,” he said then.

“As far as I’m concerned, gentlemen, we ought to get out of the pool business,” he said, adding that if the pool is to be closed, the city should set a deadline for doing so and inform people who use the pool they need to look elsewhere to meet their pool needs.

Councilmen Larry Beeman, Richard Brooks and William Pitt said they want more information about the city’s pool-related obligations and poll-related finances before making a decision regarding the pool’s fate.

Some of the 18 speakers said they are willing to work with the city in an effort to find ways to keep the pool open, including ways to better market the pool and increase pool membership.

“This pool means a lot to this community,” said Spencer Pake, a former WHS swimmer and coach of the WHS swim team. “It means a lot to the youth.”

Pake said the pool is a community asset that is important to the WHS swim team.

Pake’s brother, Scott Pake, associate head coach of East Carolina Aquatics, called the city pool a “necessary asset.” ECA’s Washington Gators contingent has 50 or more swimmers using the city pool five days a week, he noted.

He said all Washington High School swim team records are held by Washington Gators swimmers.

Dr. David Mays, 68 and a Washington dentist who swims about six or seven miles a week at the city pool, is one of those willing to help the city find ways to keep the pool open. “We’ve got a problem here. It’s about money. I know that. Y’all are in a tough spot. We’re in a tough spot,” he told the council.

Mays said he would like for the city to allows pool members time to figure out ways to better market the pool and grow its membership so it produces more revenue to help pay for operational expenses. “I would like to encourage you guys to think about what we can do … to alleviate some of your stress with money,” Mays said.

“I know you are looking at numbers right now, and God bless you is all I can say. Give us a chance to come up with some ideas ourselves. Give us a chance to come together and see if we can increase the number of people, increase the usage, increase the enjoyment, increase the health and have more people … come back to Washington where they grew up.”

Other speakers said they chose Washington as their place of residence because of the city pool.

After the hearing concluded, the council took no action regarding the pool. The council is expected to again discuss the proposed budget during its June 8 meeting, when the current budget plan could be adopted. The deadline to adopt the new budget is June 30.

For additional coverage of the council’s meeting, see future editions of the Washington Daily News.