Take the deal or take a hike

The Amherst town manager wants residents to dig down deep to absorb a $2.5 million tax Override because it’s a “three year plan” as opposed to all the previous Overrides that were only "one year solutions", yet he summarily rejects a private offer to remove a debilitating Vampire that has been sucking the town treasury dry for its entire municipal existence because the golf contract called for a “three year plan”.

In fiscal years 2004,2005, and 2006 Cherry Hill Golf Course squandered $282,8755 in taxes on operational losses. If, however, the Niblick Management three-year contract been in effect back then Amherst would have reaped over $100,000 in profit. A six-digit gain replacing six-digit losses is a tremendous turnaround.

Town Meeting voted last June to “strongly urge” the Select board to put the floundering golf business out to bid. Why did the town manger hastily reject this offer without consulting Town Meeting or even our diffident Finance Committee?

In 2005 the Select board and Town Meeting approved a lease with Verizon for a cell tower at the Ruxton Gravel pit for $20,000 in annual rent. The term of the lease was twenty years.

In 2003 the Select board and long-time town manger Barry Del Castilho entered into his final contract before retirement...a three-year deal. In 2003 when Mark Harpo Power was bequeathed the no-bid, concession contract at Cherry Hill (for well below market rate), it too, was a three-year deal.

Why would a businessperson expend “blood, sweat, toil and tears” not too mention capital on a dying business when only one year later the town can tell him to take a hike?

According the to 2004 Annual Town Report: “The Finance Committee concluded that the Town should no longer operate the Cherry Hill Golf Course. Instead, request for proposals for outside management should be put out by the Fall of 2004. If this is not done the course should be closed.”

It’s time to renew that ultimatum and take this deal or close it down. And if this is any indication of the town manager’s day-to-day managerial acumen, perhaps the Select board should rethink his contract.