Editor’s note: The following letter is in response to “An Open Letter To The Wellington Village Council” by Morley Alperstein, published last week.
As a taxpayer and one who enjoys a round of golf, I don’t want to own/maintain/operate a golf course.
Generally speaking, government should not be acquiring such assets, mostly because government does not do a good job of operating and maintaining such assets. Over time, us taxpayers will end up subsidizing its operation, and end up with an asset that needs substantial capital. If you don’t believe me, look up recent articles about the West Palm Beach municipal golf course.
In 2009, West Palm Beach shelled out $3 million to update its 1947 golf course. Since that city didn’t have another $3 million to bring the clubhouse up to code, nor another $5 million to replace it, they spent taxpayer money to tear it down last year. Today, city commissioners are debating what to do with their deteriorating asset, including getting help from the private sector to forge some kind of the public-private partnership.
There are five HOAs intertwined within the Binks course’s fairways. If the majority of the homeowners are worried about properties losing value should the course fail, they should seriously consider acquiring the course under an equity-ownership structure, converting it to a semi-private venue. The surrounding 500-plus homeowners could raise the capital to acquire and update the golf course, including the annual dues to cover its operating costs, net of whatever proceeds come in from the general public. When someone buys/sells their home, they buy/sell their shares of ownership in the course. Problem solved.
If the current ownership of the Binks Forest Golf Club wants to move the asset off its balance sheet, then sell it to the highest bidder, but not to the village.
Clinton Glass, Wellington
Once again,
Not a nor a dime of taxpayer money for Binks Forest. Let the homeowner’s buy their golf course views. Morley can raise the money and run the facility. According to Morley….Binks will make a lot of money.
The current golf course owners can’t give the course away. Maybe they should donate it and take their tax write off. Bocci Ball is the wave of the future.
Mayor Margolis,
Vice Mayor John Greene,
Councilmen Matt Willhite and John McGovern,
plus Councilwoman Anne Gerwig
-ALL want to buy the golf course.
Not one of them said, “NO” to the purchase. They have ordered the Village staff to invest their time and our taxpayer money to get appraisals for Bink’s. The Council has yet to inform the Wellington public of any of the information staff obtained regarding other golf courses in the area. Everything is very hush, hush. When Councilman Willhite says we can use another pool and clubhouse, he fails to mention that the Wellingtoon Aquatic Center near the amphitheatre runs at a deficit every year (and yet, Willhite, the ‘business wizard’, wants to purchase another costly pool and clubhouse and lay the ongoing costs on every Wellington resident.)
This will be the SECOND rescue of Bink’s by the Village. The first time, the Council sent their attorney, Jeff Kurtz to negotiate in New Jersey. Kurtz, by the way, is a resident of Bink’s, too! Where was the ethics committee back then?!?!
Do not VOTE anyone of them: Margolis, Greene, McGovern back onto the Council. (They are all running.)
Do not vote for Matt Willhite for a State Senate seat. He favors his neighborhood, the Aero Club, for improvements over other areas in Wellington.
Ditto, that for McGovern and his gated community.
Bink’s Golf “CURSE” will be an albatross that all Wellington residents will have to bear. It will be an expense, an ONGOING cost for all residents.
Bink’s will HAVE to remain a golf course in perpetuity, unless ALL 5 council members agree to bring it forth in a referendum to Wellington residents to change the golf course’s purpose.
That sure is a Super Majority Vote! (ironic that this current Council wants Village voters to approve changing the Village Charter to reduce the number of votes needed to approve Council’s own monetary compensation from a current vote of 4 out of 5 members, to 3 out of 5 members! Vote “NO” on that referendum on March 15, 2016!
This Council doesn’t care about our taxes. It’s spend, spend, spend. That’s all Council Matt Willhite wants to do. Spend YOUR tax money.
Do NOT vote to keep Margolis, Greene, or McGovern. Let’s be glad Matt Willhite will be gone from the Council. He creates chaos where ever he goes. A very unpleasant man.
You can get all the appraisals you want. The fact of the matter is Binks has been on the open market for a long time with no buyers in site. Making this unmarketable.Our Village should not bail them out once again to keep losing money for the taxpayers.If they purchase the old driving range to stop the 90 town home and buy the golf course at 3.6million together and turn it into an open space park,keeping the new drive range for the people. That could be a different story and it will not cost that much to run.
I feel we are being blackmailed into buying it, by stating do you want a defunct over grow golf course in your back yard as before? Maybe we should build 90 more town houses.The 2.6 million it was sold for went to a different company for profit. Not back into the course.
All wellington taxpayers need to weigh in on a ballot in March,not just the 5 communities leader.We the people must have the say as it’s our money not the HOA leaders or Village Councils.