In spite of being dead wrong about predicted golf revenues for his entire tenure as Town Manager, John Musante optimistically insists on predicting a higher number ($268,000), that's always presented to Town Meeting in the spring and is always proved wrong come the following July 1st end of the Fiscal Year.
Town Manager's 2015 budget report "letter of transmittal"
All you need is a calculator to see it did NOT cover all its costs from user fees
The beastly White Elephant of a municipal "business" continues on its losing ways with end of season revenues being well below break even levels.
And -- even worse -- expenditures at disproportionately higher than average levels as well.
Current revenues stand at $102,347 vs expenditures of $143,684. Former long time manager of the course Dan Engstrom (who mysteriously disappeared on St Patrick's Day 2007) always used to tell town officials you could simply double revenues at season close in order to project full fiscal year (which ends June 30th) totals.
Town Manager's 2014 Budget report "letter of transmittal"
Although the real formula is closer to doubling the numbers and then increase that total by another 20%.
Either way, the ailing business will not intake $268,000 by July 1st. This, on top of "actual" losses exceeding $100,000 last year (although, as usual, predicted to "cover its operating and employee benefits entirely from user fees").
Town Manager's 2013 Budget report "letter of transmittal"
Cherry Hill itsy bitsy clubhouse (note lack of solar panels)
In a July 7th memo to his bosses the venerable 5-member Amherst Select Board, Town Manager Musante did, finally, admit "This ongoing evaluation will likely include revisiting the cost-benefit of privatizing operations of the Cherry Hill Golf Course."
Town Managers 2012 Budget report "letter of transmittal"
Let's hope that commons sense proposal is included in his FY2016 budget rather than the standard wrong headed projection about the beleaguered business covering its costs "entirely from user fees."
I play at Cherry Hill all summer and am glad (as an Amherst Taxpayer) that we have an affordable recreation facility. I do not go to Mill River, Groff Park, Kendrick Park, or Sweetzer Park, and do not begrudge the cost of maintaining them.
ReplyDeleteI am a Cherry Hill golfer and agree that it is time to pursue private management.
ReplyDeleteTough business. Golf is not as popular as years past. Then again I can't remember a day other than Winterfest that involves the course and is publicized. Winterfest basically involves the parking lot. Might help if they start making it a destination to go to rather than just put out an open for business sign.
ReplyDeleteGood read:
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2013/09/13/Why-Public-Golf-Courses-are-Rough
The Economist this week has an article detailing the slow death of golf everywhere. In the US, 160 courses closed last year, the eighth straight year of net losses. Why Amherst thinks it can reverse this trend through government subsidy is beyond me--they're just trying to hold back the tide of inevitability. Get rid of it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a golfer but in the winter it's a joy to see everyone sledding and skiing on the golf course. I'd like to see the town keep control of the course. I always though the bike path was a waste of millions of taxpayers dollars until I saw how much pleasure it brought to so many. This is all a quality of life issue. If the golf course was a major burden for the town I could see other options. I don't think we're there yet.
ReplyDeleteMe and my friends aren't elite enough to read the Economist. We just play golf at Cherry Hill.
ReplyDeleteAt taxpayer expense.
ReplyDeleteThe baseball fields,swimming pools, bike paths,parks are all at taxpayers expense. It is a quality of life issue.
ReplyDeleteSo is having enough police and firefighters to respond to emergencies.
ReplyDeleteWith the now-for-sale adjacent Maxon home for sale ( http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/325-Montague-Rd_Amherst_MA_01002_M33284-23442?row=14 ) on Route 63 (that appears to be the course club house already) this would be an ideal time for a private entity to lease Cherry Hill Golf Course from the town for a nominal fee and use the Maxon home to open a tax base-enhancing enterprise. That Maxon house wants to be a fine restaurant/event hall and Club House. Cowls has abutting acres that an investor could use to make the course 18 holes and we could build condos northeast of the course to complete the project.
ReplyDeleteThat works for me.
ReplyDeleteNot sure the Greenbaums would be happy about that however.
Get off it. Amherst can hire more police or firefighters if they want to. It's not Cherry Hill stopping them. They just don't want to. There was plenty of money for school administrators to get raises. Somehow Cherry Hill didn't stop that.
ReplyDeleteActually the schools are completely separate from the town budget.
ReplyDeleteGood idea Cinda, go right ahead.
ReplyDeleteSorry but lots of people living in Amherst greatly love the vast public lands that the town maintains for use by its citizens. Simply because many people avoid going outside and golfing/sledding/skiing/walking and because that ACCESS has a (pretty small- $3-4/ person/ year) price tag DOES NOT mean that suddenly the town should turn around and appropriate their funds away from the few things they spend money on that make living in Amherst enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteTry reading the post.
ReplyDeleteAnd you can do all that (at tremendous savings to taxpayers) by leasing out the golf course to a private entity.
I think leasing the course to a private entity is a reasonable proposition. That moves the risk of losses off the taxpayers while maintaining the recreational purpose of the land. A clever entrepreneur will hopefully turn a profit.
ReplyDeleteThe golf course is a drop in the bucket. And Larry, I disagree that "the schools are totally separate from the town budget." Schools, firefighters, police, DPW, etc. all comes from the same bucket of property tax revenue. Any attempt to "separate" them is mere sleight-of-hand.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would really like to see is the school budget cut by about a third. Can start by firing the top 20 administrators and just let the teachers do their jobs.