The state of Alabama plans to lock the gates of Paul M. Grist State Park Thursday and close it to the public, but the Dallas County Commission isn’t going to let the park close without putting up a fight.

Dallas County Commission Chairman and Probate Judge Kim Ballard said the commission is trying to figure out a way to keep the park open.

“It may be a fight, but I’m going to go down fighting,” Ballard said Monday. “I thought it was just a budget ploy and they would come back next year and open it up, but talking to the supervisor of the park, that’s not going to happen.”

The Alabama State Parks Division announced Sept. 30 that Paul Grist, along with four other state parks, would close Oct. 15 due to budget cuts made by the legislature.

“We all know if they close the gates to the park and walk away from it, it is going to be vandalized, and it is going to go down to where you don’t recognize it as a park,” Ballard said.

Commissioner Roy Moore, whose district includes the park, said it makes him angry every time he thinks about the park closing.

“It just makes me mad to think about it every time what the state is doing to folks in the Black Belt. It is like we don’t pay taxes here. We don’t get anything for our tax dollars,” Moore said.

“I’m sure [the park] is losing money. It was never designed to make money, nor the baseball complex that we own. None of this stuff is designed to make money. It is designed to give something back to the general public for the dollars that you spend on taxes.”

Greg Lein, the director of the Alabama State Parks Division, said Paul Grist and the other four parks that made the list, were chosen because they don’t generate enough revenue.

After talking with Kelly Ezell, superintendent for the state park system’s central district, Ballard said he feels like the state is willing to cooperate with the county.

“If we can figure out a way to have it as just a caretaker, somebody to open and close the gates, to mow the grass around the lake and to take the money for renting boats and the other things that they generate revenue, I believe we can do it for a very small budget,” Ballard said. “It may close, but I will commit my energy to keep it open.”

Ballard said the county would be willing to take on some expenses to see the park remain open.

“Even if it costs the county some money, I think this commission is going to go for it,” Ballard said. “It would be a shame for a park to close that’s been there that long. It is named after Mr. Grist. We all know him. I attended that park when I was in the fifth grade, and you can tell the park has been there a long time.”

Ballard said he and Commissioner Moore have a meeting with Ezell planned for Friday to further discuss possibilities for the park.

“I hope we can work this thing out. Judge [Ballard] and I are going to certainly try our best to do that,” Moore said.

“How much help we’ll get from the state I don’t know, but we’re going to do our best to try to see this thing through.”