City pools opened right on schedule on Friday afternoon with a lot of young people enjoying the facilities, most of which were late opening for the summer season due to maintenance and safety problems.
Questions remain about why it took almost two months to pay the lifeguards working at the pools.
Nearly two dozen lifeguards have worked since June without being paid and they were ready to walk off the job Friday, forcing the pools to close.
NBC10's Jesse Gary went to Roberto Clemente Park and Trenton City Hall looking for answers.
By midday Friday he spoke with some lifeguards and supervisors who arrived for work, saying the city had finally cut checks for everyone covering six weeks of work. A potential work stoppage was scrapped.
A trip to City Hall and to Mayor Tony Mack’s home provided no answers about the pay delay.
Trenton City Council members approved the funds in May and some are also questioning the late checks.
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"I have no idea,” said George Muschal, Trenton South Ward Councilman. “Calls were made. They said they were working on it. I can guarantee you they're going to get paid. Why they haven't been paid, I don't have an answer on that.”
“I got no comments about it, I'm just glad we got paid," said one of the lifeguards.
Problems remain with two of the five pools that are in such bad shape they haven’t opened yet and a third pool is leaking so severely that it may have to be closed.
Trenton Mayor Tony Mack is the subject of a federal investigation and his home and offices were searched by the FBI last month. Since Mack took office in 2010 the city has been hit with lawsuits and accusations of corruption, cronyism and mismanagement.
The power was turned off at Mack’s home for two days this week for non-payment, according to the Trentonian.
