Giveaways Or Lost Revenue Increase Our Taxes!

To The Editor:
I attended the Wed., April 27, commissioner’s meeting along with 600 other people. The reason there was so many people in attendance was 52 of them were going to lose jobs if our budget was passed and it was. Here is another prime example of why Wildwood’s “tax woes” will still continue no matter how many cost-saving measures are introduced. We have to change the way we do business. The city took a bond for $200,000 to pay for the cost of bleachers used for private enterprise, namely the Monster Truck building located on our boardwalk and additional city beachfront lot. They also created a five-year lease granting GWTIDA the management of events at this location too. What is the city getting out of this business transaction? A measly $32,000 a year, with $19,000 going to pay for the bond on the bleachers and netting only $14,000. Fact: Any costs our city incurs or lost revenue directly affects our tax rate (usually with an increase). Why? Because funding for necessary city services is always put on the backs of taxpayers. Apparently no one checked what the going rate is for leasing boardwalk properties and why not? Taxpayers have entrusted our finances to our city leaders. Did they just pick a number out of their heads? Big shame. Come on, city leaders, wake up. Every dollar you lose in revenue costs us plenty in job losses too. I’m concerned.
First, why is our city bonding to pay for the cost of the bleachers? Any commercially leased property normally has the tenants paying for any improvements to the facility. Second, why wasn’t there due diligence in checking the current rate for boardwalk seasonal leases before charging such a “low” number? Possibly a better way would have been to get a percentage of the gross yearly profits from GWTIDA too. This should have been analyzed.
Here was our opportunity to create a sound business plan that could offset some of our tax burden. We must build up our revenue side of the budget and stop having a “one-track” mind always cutting the budget and reducing the workforce but what about the revenue side? This has, historically, always been neglected.
I publicly objected to the passing of this lease stating the aforementioned and was ignored. Our current governing body, Mayor Gary DeMarzo, Commissioner Al Brannen and Commissioner Ed Harshsaw, still passed Ordinance 852-11 unanimously. The last lease the City of Wildwood gave GWTIDA was our city’s six acres of prime beachfront parking lots with the city only collecting $1 for 99 years. Imagine if this acreage was in our ratables, how much better off we would be.
Wake up, commissioners…these “bad business deals” must stop. Taxpayers are fed up. We should not be incurring the costs for tourism. Any public property being sold or leased in the future should be discussed openly at the commissioners’ meetings with public input. The only way I found out about Ordinance 852-11 was through one public packet available at the commissioners meeting.
My promise: I will be do my best to bring better business sense to our city’s business and join in ventures that will clearly benefit our city to the utmost.
SANDRA RICHARDSON
Wildwood