It’s time to take another look at the golf course

Dear Editor:

Maybe now is a good time to make a change in Cedaredge. The Deer Creek/Cedaredge Golf Course has been a constant drain on a town population that is struggling to pay for food, heat, water, taxes, electricity and other essentials of life.

My figures may not be quite correct but a quick search of newspaper articles and other sources revealed that the golf course lost about $187,000 in 2007. In 2010 the loss was about $34,859 but was sustained with $25,000 from the General Fund, a $17,000 boost from GOCO, a $32,000 loan from other sources, a $11,000 "advance" (what is that?) and $7,000 from the state lottery. If I was trying to run a business like that, I would have been forced to declare bankruptcy long ago!

According to one source (http://www.bestplaces.net/economy / city / colorado /cedaredge) the per capita income in Cedaredge has been $23,959 and the household income is only $39,194. Now how many residents in those income categories do you think really are worried about the success of the golf course when they are just trying to stay warm, fed and healthy?

Back in January of 2008 the town paid for an appraisal of the golf course to "estimate the market value" of the golf course and to help with a "golf course debt summit" meeting. Has anything changed? Most meetings seem to be taken up with a new financial crisis. There has been a long history of "loans," "transfers," "advances" and studies. None have solved the problem. There appears to be no end of fixes available for the golf course, but in the meantime our streets and water system and sewer system and police department struggle to operate on limited budgets.

Perhaps if the golf course is as desirable as its supporters would have us believe, it is the time to get a professional appraisal and then sell shares to those very folks who think it is wonderful! It could be a good investment for them. (Oh, I forgot, many get free golf.) If it were sold to the private sector, the town could benefit from the property tax and sales tax. If they are not interested I guess they really don't believe in it after all. Sure wish I had thought of this in time to get the candidates' opinions!

Dave Yates

Cedaredge

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