“There has been a significant change in the leadership at the Bedford Center YMCA,” declared Jacklinn Sotello, the facility’s new District Executive Director, as she presented a cheerful, upbeat report on the YMCA at last Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

When Sotello took over in late December, she said “customer service was the priority,” focusing on the four “service principles” of “welcoming, connecting, inviting and supporting.”  That means, for example, she explained, that the staff has “made a connection with you beyond your name.”  Once “that connection” is made, she said we want to know, “how are we able to support you?”

Sotello reviewed program attendance numbers, including more than 6,400 participants for the very popular Pickleball, which she termed as “a big deal at the Bedford YMCA.”  Overall, Sotello stated about 60,000 people per month pass through their doors, which makes Bedford the busiest YMCA in the Fort Worth Area.

Membership

Based on revenue from membership fees, Kristen Lee, the YMCA’s chief financial officer, projected the growth in membership numbers have likely hit their limits and are plateauing.  Lee said that at this point, the YMCA is more interested in membership “retention” and growing revenue as opposed to recruiting new members.

The YMCA’s Association Director of Program Resource Development Carolanne Dunaway, in a follow-up interview, reported total “membership units” of 7,094 as of last week, which is 1.1% off from the 7,170 “member units” the YMCA reported at their presentation to the Council in October of last year. 

A “membership unit,” is an individual or family that joins together under a single membership, which means, according Dunaway, that there are actually more than 14,000 people who are members of the Bedford YMCA.

Until last October, membership numbers more than doubled since the facility opened in January of 2023, but have since leveled out  Additionally, membership figures appear to have peaked last September with a count of 7,296 “membership units.”

Eliminating the Subsidy from the City

Dunaway also said the YMCA is “challenged to make up” the annual operating budget deficit the City covers with subsidy payments.  Since the YMCA opened in January of 2023, the City of Bedford has been covering the operating losses of the facility with a subsidy.

Last year, the YMCA ended up with a $369,000 shortfall when expenses were subtracted from revenue.  This year, she said, they are projecting a $324,000 deficit, but are working to reduce or eliminate that shortfall by adding programs to increase revenue.  She added that the YMCA has already implemented all of their cost-cutting initiatives it had planned.