Sunday, November 17, 2013

Red Is The New Black


Cherry Hill Golf Course: always stormy  

Red ink continues to outline Amherst's municipal white elephant -- the appropriately titled Cherry Hill Golf Course.  Set against a bright blue sky background it might make an all-American logo for government waste and mismanagement.

Last year the beleaguered business lost $47,000 and this year -- at the half way point -- they are again on target to lose well over that amount.

Of course town officials will write it off as almost a wash or talk about "net operating profits" conveniently ignoring the hidden costs -- employee benefits, ($37,529) and capital improvements ($26,654).

Yes, the FY14 "operation budget" is $240,100 but the real cost of running the golf business this year is $304,283.  And with total revenues now at season closure standing at only $90,701 (below last year's $96,537) safe bet the course will not even generate the $242,569 total it did in FY13.

So my conservative projection for total losses in the this fiscal year finishing June 30 is $60,000 -- or a little over the cost of one full time firefighter, police officer or yes, even a teacher (well, almost). 

Next year (FY15) will be exponentially worse since the (hidden) capital improvements cost will be in the $100,000 range.

Time to board up the sinking sand trap.


Five year plan for capital improvements (not part of "operation budget")

18 comments:

Start with potty training I guess said...

How about a handicap index for towns?

I mean, numbers can be mad stoooopid, right?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSoqfb56tpQ


Banana?

Anonymous said...

That's ok Larry didn't you say in another post that the police bring in a substantial amount of fine money, they can support the golf course.

Anonymous said...

The reality is all our recreation facilities have costs. Because Cherry Hill charges a fee its costs are Amherst's lowest. Now those recently renovated tennis courts on the other hand.

Larry Kelley said...

The tennis courts are owned by the schools, not the town.

And the $225,000 cost of renovations was indeed steep, but over the next 40 years or so not much more will go into them; unlike the golf course, which has intensive heavy equipment needs. Annually.

Tom McBride said...

That's where taxpayer money should be going. To subsidize less expensive golf. I have nothing against golf. Instead the land could be populated with family homes.

Anonymous said...

How come the town can't apply the same financial logic to the indoor pool at the school. It is only used by the high school swim team and closed to the community. Duh..
David farnham

Anonymous said...

Sure, Larry, and who owns the schools? The town. Nice try.

Anonymous said...

This has been your 25 year beef. Gotta admire the tenacity.

Anonymous said...

Quit the axe grinding. All our parks, commons, soccer fields, football fields, softball and baseball fields have lawnmowers and people that get paid to drive them.

Larry Kelley said...

Comparing the upkeep cost of a golf course vs parks recreation fields is like comparing the cost of an Ivy League college with that of a local community college.

Actually Anon 9:16 PM, the Middle School is a Regional school owned by Amherst "the town" AND the towns of Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury.

Actually Anon 9:51 PM, it's been 26.5 years. But who's counting.

Tom McBride said...

For Anon 10:13, maybe you'd like to volunteer yourself to pay for all those salaries and retirement benefits.

Anonymous said...

I do. It's called being a taxpayer. I also pay for schools, even though I have no children, a Senior Center I never go to, as well as a bunch of libraries that I've never visited. Not to mention the paving of lots of roads I never drive down. However, I do golf, and I enjoy Cherry Hill very much.

Anonymous said...

"So my conservative projection for total losses in the this fiscal year finishing June 30 is $60,000 -- or a little over the cost of one full time firefighter, police officer or yes, even a teacher (well, almost)."

I wish you would stop with this tired and false equivalency. The town budget has within it lots of smaller budgets for road work, recreation, libraries, schools etc. You can protest how the recreation budget is allotted but don't run around claiming you could have hired another teacher on the savings at Cherry Hill, as they are from different budgets. Fire an unneeded school administrator, or don't send so many administrators to conferences, but don't point to recreation budget items. It's fair to say we could have had more soccer fields, but there are a gazillion ways you could have had more teachers, or policeman, and that usually starts with whether the departments can make a case that they are needed. Funny, when you think there should be an elaborate glass case for housing the civil war tablets you don't try to convince us it's more worthy than a policeman or teacher.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:10, it's all about YOU isn't it? Unless it benefits YOU, there is no value? What about the residents in those schools, or those that drive on the roads, or use the library, or visit the Senior Center because they find companionship after the loss of a husband/wife/partner? These things provide a much larger benefit to the overall health of the community than a golf course that "serves" a relative few. I'm not saying golf is bad, nor that your method of relaxation is any less important than your neighbors'. However, rather than comparing apples (essential community expenditures) to oranges (an over-priced tax payer supported golf course), why not run for town office and start to make changes to how Amherst generates revenue? With too much open space (although important within reason) and a horrid environment for businesses (NIMBY central) its no wonder your tax bill is so high. Get involved and help to impart normalizing changes that this town really needs; balanced business revenue and metered spending.

Anonymous said...

My point is exactly the opposite of what you are portraying it. Yes, while I do like golf at Cherry Hill, my point is that the way taxes work is they support lots of different things, most of which are not the things you or I use.

Anonymous said...

wow 9:21, you totally missed 6:10s point. calm down, because it was exactly what you said...

Anonymous said...

So,Anon 9:21, please tell me just how much open land is "too much"? I've lived here over 30 years and watched lots of Amherst get filled in by development (Amherst Fields, cul de sacs off East Pleasant st and Henry st. , University drive, etc). "Horrid environment for business" is all I've heard for all those years also, but many businesses from way back when are still here (Black Sheep, Hastings, Cowl's, Judy's, etc.) and many new business have come and thrived (Rao's, Copy Cat, Zanna, etc.).

Anonymous said...

speaking of public recreation, why does amherst baseball have to maintain public baseball fields? is this new?