The Community Center financials are now posted for August 2017. The good news is that we are doing better than last August. Unfortunately, the numbers are still nothing to celebrate.End of month balance
The Community Center Fund (CCF), the fund that was set up to collect ALL the revenues and pay ALL the expenses, ended the month with a NEGATIVE balance of -$94,456. This negative balance takes into consideration the cumulative sales tax revenues of $341,949 collected so far this fiscal year (July 1 through August 31, 2017).
Sometime during this fiscal year, this fund must also pay the $120,000 annual loan payment to the General Fund. The fund has also budgeted another $77,680 in capital outlay. Apparently making the facility ADA compliant is not in the cards for this fiscal year either because that will cost about $400,000. So this is another year where the Town's disabled citizens must utilize the loading dock to enter the Community Center. This continued lack of ADA compliance should be an embarrassment to the Town.
Revenues, Expenses, and Losses
Total revenues through August 2017 are $127,803 higher than at the same time last year, BUT the total expenses are also higher at $88,324. Even with this trend, the total losses in the CCF are $176,433 for July and August. If it were not for these losses, we could build out Naranja Park without asking for a bond and secondary property tax.
Total losses attributed to golf for August 2017 are $239,805, which is more than the cost of a Little League field. The total losses attributed to food and beverage (the Overlook Restaurant) through August 2017 are $25,701, which is equal to the cost of some playground equipment or a ramada. (Items the citizens requested in the June 2014 Parks and Recreation survey).
Show me the money
With the continued negative balance in the Community Center Fund, where is this money going to come from? Where is the money needed to make the Community Center ADA compliant going to come from? Where is the mandated $120,000 annual pay back to the General Fund going to come from?
The “Cohesive” Council needs to make a decision
So as you can see, even though the numbers are better this August than last August, there is little reason to rejoice. As a result of the very unwise vote by 4 members of the current Council to purchase the Community Center and Golf Courses, the existing Council has to make some tough decisions and they need to do so ASAP. Pushing a Property Tax on the homeowners of Oro Valley is not the answer, and as we’ve stated previously on LOVE, it amounts to punishing the taxpayer for the sins of the council.
Mike Zinkin has a Bachelor’s degree in history and government from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from California State University, Northridge. He was a commissioned ensign in the United States Navy Reserve in 1969. He worked as an Air Traffic Controller for 30 years. He and his wife moved to Oro Valley after retiring in 1998. Mike served on the Oro Valley Development Review Board from 2005-2009, the Board of Adjustment from 2011-2012, and the Town Council from 2012-2016. During his time on council, he was named as one of 23 Leadership Fellows for the National League of Cities University, he was a member of the National League of Cities Steering Committee for Community and Economic Development, and a member of the Arizona League of Cities Budget and Economic Development Committee.
