RICHTON — Months after town leaders promised a new splash pad, families are still blocked by locked gates. Now, the town estimates it won’t open until May 2026 — more than a year behind schedule — and residents will have to pay to use it.
Mayor Bo Ruffin said the Board of Aldermen are “awaiting on several items to complete the pad” and “have several other items to put in place” before opening. He said the board plans to finish the work with funds from its next budget cycle, which starts in October.
Resident Cassia Taylor said she is frustrated with what she calls a lack of communication from town leaders about the delayed opening.
“Rural communities don’t often get these kinds of promises,” she said. “If it’s not going to open for another year, the town needs to communicate with its people.”
Richton first announced plans for the splash pad in fall 2024 as part of a $5 million town-wide initiative to improve infrastructure and recreation.
By early 2025, Taylor said the facility appeared ready, and until late July, a sign outside the pad advertised an “early 2025” opening.
“Since (RHCJC News) and I have started communicating about this, the sign has since disappeared, and we don’t know where it is,” Taylor said.
Ruffin declined an interview request but released a statement on behalf of his office and the board:
“We are still awaiting on several items to complete the pad as well as have several other items to put in place before we open. These will be done in the new budget starting October. It is the town’s right to open when we see fit and operate the same. Once open, there will be a daily fee to enter and rules. These items will be posted sometime next year. The town is looking tentatively at a May date.”
After hearing the mayor’s response, Taylor said she’s disappointed.
“The fact that they want to charge a fee in order to use this in a community like this — that is unfair to the people of Richton,” she said. “I haven’t lived here long, but we are going on three years living in Richton, and the people that I know — I love these people — but these people also can’t afford a daily fee to come play with their kids. That’s ridiculous.”
Currently, the closest splash pad is at Friendly Park in Petal. Taylor said the excitement about getting one in Richton meant saving money and time.
“It is 30 minutes (away), which may not seem like a lot to maybe the mayor, but it is a lot for moms, for dads who are maybe single-parent households,” she said. “It is completely free (in Petal). I don’t understand why Richton would want to charge a fee. That’s ridiculous to me.”
Taylor said she expects more from elected leaders.
“Talk to your people, Richton. Know your people. Love your people enough to let them know, like, ‘Hey, it’s not going to be open for one more year.’ But just communicate,” Taylor said. “I would ask more from the town leaders and the mayor … (the residents) deserve more.”
Richton’s Board of Aldermen meets the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
