By  http://www.journal-news.com/staff/rick-mccrabb/" rel="nofollow - Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — 

“Gilleland said the city has four options:

·                      Put a Parks and Recreation levy on the ballot;

·                      Close Weatherwax and maintain the property as public open space;

·                      Close Weatherwax and transfer the land to another public agency to maintain as open space;

·                      Continue to operate the golf course and lay off additional general fund employees to fund the subsidy.”

Gilleland can only think of putting a levy on already over-taxed people or once again holding our public safety hostage for more money. The only other choice is to destroy Weatherwax and turn it into open space.

“She said the golf course is budgeted to receive a $400,000 subsidy for 2014. She said $220,000 of that money is a debt payment, which will need to be paid whether the course is open or closed. She said it costs the city more to keep the course open than simply make the debt payment.”

Gilleland, if you subtract $220,000 in debt payment from the $400,000 subsidy you have $180,000 for other expenses. What will it cost to keep Weatherwax mowed for green space? How much will it cost to maintain the clubhouse and parking lots? Maybe you plan to just ignore maintenance and let everything fall in like you did with the Orman Building and Rose Furniture Building. Those cost us nearly $1 million to do something with after the city government refused to do minor roof repairs. Now that is how to save money! (That money was stolen from other accounts. Where did the $300,000 dollars for the Rose Furniture Building come from after Judy said they were broke and fired police patrol officers?)

“Due to restrictions from the 1970s, the golf course land must be maintained as public-owned open space.”

  This prevents the sale of Weatherwax to private investors after all these talks of such a sale.

Gilleland, maybe if you could pry your mind away from destruction, you could look at the number and qualifications of the directors, asst. directors, managers, asst. managers, etc. at Weatherwax. At one time, most were retired from the city or otherwise connected with the people in the city building. 

Also, many of the workers were the children of council and city administration. Maybe you could save money be using only qualified workers and have fewer workers. Cutting the gravy train for unqualified workers and management(friends of city hall) might save that $180,000.

   Some other suggestions to find extra money:

1. Return the money you stole out of the Auto and Gas Fund. That amounted to about $4 million per year ($3.28 million from the state Auto and Gas Fund and nearly $700,000 from a one mill property levy tax that can only be used for street repair.) $4 million per year times the six years you’ve been here is $24 million. This money was never used as intended, so it was either stolen or misappropriated, either is a felony. Of course, we would expect you to reimburse the city at the same rate you make citizens reimburse the city: times three. That would make your total reimbursement $72 million.