Last night was the wrap-up on the 2016/2017 Budget. A hearing will be held on September 13 and the 2nd Public Hearing on September 20. It is on these dates that the public gets to comment. This is cutting it close as the new budget year begins on October 1, 2016.
Essentially, we will be spending more than we make.
With four on the dais being businessmen, only Commissioner Christopher McVoy, a scientist, sounded like one. He doesn't understand why the commission would pass a Beach budget knowing that it will be in the red. Who does? The answer seems obvious--some want it to fail. Why would you purposely throw more expenses into the Beach Fund without more revenue to pay for the additional costs?
Commissioner McVoy insisted that the Burton and Associates matrix (a study we paid for but ignored in this instance) be in the record that proved by raising the parking twenty-five cents an hour every three years or ten cents every year, we would stay in the black (if we didn't throw in more expenditures) and that's with the two extra sheriff deputies, one extra full-time lifeguard, keeping four months reserves, keeping the pool opened as it is now and paying back the loan to ourselves at $500,000 a year.
Commissioner Amoroso wants to analyze operations at the pool after six months. Vice Mayor Maxwell still wants to close the pool and by their consensus last night, (voting to add costs without raising revenues) they have intentionally made it difficult to have a profit. If this is how they want to run our beach operations, they need to get the entire beach out of an Enterprise Fund like they did the golf course and allow it all to survive. The Lake Worth beach and pool are our most important assets and what drives tourism to our city.
Regarding our entire operational budget, Non-Controllable Expenses will go up $1,474,000 from the previous year or 66.15% of our general revenues. This includes five new sheriff deputies, two of whom, as mentioned above, will be assigned to the beach (I didn't realize we had so much crime there too), two other deputies, assignment unknown, and one at the Electric fund. That is a curious one. The total general fund budget now is $32.8 million up from $31.1 million.
8 comments:
Scott Maxwell wants to close our pool. No surprise there! *** Bastar@ has been mad about the whole casino for years. He didn't get what he wanted,turning the whole beach over to a couple of con men,and now Scott is out for revenge.
Don't bother to say anything to this commission. They don't give a crap.
The above comment was edited by me. I have said on many occasions and it's in the comment policy, NO personal remarks regarding age, weight, etc. will be allowed. PLEASE.
This is another warning sign to me blinking out in shouting neon that good old HH and Maxwell are lining up to move in again on our beach and pool. LOOKOUT!!!!
How in the world do they expect anyone who is not on the take to be OK with giving away ocean front property owned by the citizens of Lake Worth, to a private party (hedge fund flipper) for profit??
We have all seen how they manipulate to budget to this aim, including going through financial directors like most of us go through a roll of paper towels.
Do you think Steve Michaels is just biding his time till he can bulldoze the Gulfstream and erect oceanfront Hudsontown??
katie katie katie. Try taking 3 deep breaths. better yet meditate.
Wes,Wes,Wes. Try taking 3 deep breaths. Underwater.
Fat Bastar@ is not a personal attack against anyone. Fat Bastar@ is the name of a movie character in Austin Powers.If one of our Commissioners resembles that character,oh well. As a matter of fact, THREE of our Commissioners resemble that character !
The beach budget is akin to the schedule at the pool.
Pick a schedule that only works for retired people or people who don't work and then claim no one uses the pool. No one uses the pool b/c its not opened when people can use it. Design something to fail, don't be surprised when it fails.
Same for the beach budget. Pass a budget that doesn't work and then complain the beach doesn't make its budget.
Wes, surprise!! Not Katie above. Many others love our beach. Please return to your intellectual home under a rock.
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