In November the voters renewed the 1/2 cent sales tax for road and infrastructure improvements. The city made a list of projects and roads to be included in the work. There is a link at the bottom that goes to the memo from the city manager outlining the work proposed. Please scroll through and read the list of roads. It's a very easy read. The proposed plan changed on Feb 14th to put more money into the aquatic center and stormwater mitigation.
Some excellent projects are being done with this money. Aquatic center improvements (25% of funds). Also, approximately 50% of the funds are used for road improvements throughout the city; with a considerable amount going to the northside. Also, road work along Illinois in and around Hickory Square to help revitalize downtown. (See the list of streets on the June 6th Memo below). Plus 10% of funds go to storm water mitigation. And, of course, they HAVE to repave the parking lot of the golf course (approx $250,000 as of last June).
The first proposal on 6/6/22 had a full 10% of the funds will be used to pave the parking lot of the golf course (approx $250,000) and build a new maintenance building at the golf course ($450,000). You will see in the memo that the third item down is the funding for these two projects. It has since been revised to just repaving the golf course parking lot, which is more money on top of the $400,000 a year this course cost taxpayers. Completely unwarranted, considering the the need for road work in several areas of the city.
One particular proposal is the $180,000 recommended to do Summit Dr. from El Rancho to the top of the hill. Again, this is the entrance road to the golf course.
The golf course is a money pit, it loses money hand over fist as a business. As we stated in Golden Fairways and Golden Fairways 2.0, the city needs to revamp the business model before spending another nickel on it. Last year alone the golf course cost the taxpayers $460,000, and its cost a minimum of $250,000 a year since 2012. No matter what, the golf course gets a HEALTHY share of any pie served up without fail. According to the city's own 10 year plan the budgeted expenditures are now double what was anticipated, hence the massive cost to the tax payers every year.
Repeatedly tax funds are used to prop up the failed business model of the golf course. Judging from the diminishing revenues and complete absence of any business model in the golf course, it's obvious tourists are not flocking to Sidney to play golf. This city MUST get its priorities straight and stop wasting money propping up the status symbol of the golf course, it's a BIG financial anchor around the neck of the city.
Last August Bring Back Sidney asked the question if these tax funds were going to be used to do work on the golf course. And many people were adamant that was not the case. Well, the answer is in the City's OWN memos. A resounding YES!
READ PROPOSAL MEMO FROM June 2022
https://bringbacksidney.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Agenda-2-Renewal-of-Sales-Tax-Proposal.pdf
READ PROPOSAL MEMO FROM Feb 14th, 2023