The July 28, 2017 edition of the Explorer reported on the recent Council decisions which allowed for another $350,000 to transferred from the General Fund to the Community and Recreation Fund (CRF) Part of this money, $120,000, will be utilized to pay back the Council obligation to return the original $1.2 million that was withdrawal from the General Fund at $120,000/yr. So, in essence, the Council took another $350,000 from the General Fund in order to pay back $120,000 to the same fund. This is the prime example of a government shell game. The article goes on to say that the reason the Council did not pay the $120,000 back last year was because of “poorer than expected performance.” Now the Council can brag about how they made the obligated payment to the General Fund, but they had to withdraw from the General fund to make the payment. The remaining $230,000 ($350,000 minus $120,000) will “allow for minimal funds within the account (the CRF) come July, when the new fiscal year kicks off.”
Hiremath had no problem with the additional funds being withdrawn from the General Fund, despite saying on multiple occasions how the CRF was to pay for all the Community Center (golf, tennis, swimming, food and beverage). Now Hiremath states “I have stated publicly time and time again, that this is a six year process. It’s like buying a fixer-upper house, we are not going to break even within the first, second, third, fourth, or even the fifth year. I think that the story here is that we are holding true.”
Yep, it is holding true. If the plan was to lose money for six years, we are on course to do so. Keep in mind that originally this was a five year project….now it is six years. Do you think that a real estate master mind like Humberto Lopez would sell this real estate if he thought he could make any money?
Including all increased sales tax revenues and withdrawals from the General Fund this investment has cost the Citizens of Oro Valley over $6.8 million. What do we have to show for it? A 1980 building that is still not ADA compliant, two golf courses closed for the summer, and a restaurant that is on track to lose another $100,000.
Hiremath….you, your co-hearts on Council, and as a result, the Citizens of Oro Valley, have been duped.