Some council members said they were concerned that the municipal golf course’s rate hike would financially subsidize the Inland Greens golf course, which is under construction and won’t be operational until 2017.
Some members of city council are concerned that the Wilmington (N.C.) Municipal Golf Course is financially subsidizing the Inland Greens golf course, which is under construction and won’t be operational until 2017, the Wilmington (N.C.)-based WECT 6 News reported.
The elected leaders are currently considering a 10 percent rate increase for customers at the Wilmington Municipal Golf Course. The rate has already increased by 35 percent after the course underwent an extensive $1.5 million renovation project last year, WECT reported.
Staffers previously said the rate hike was necessary to help maintain the Muni’s fund balance, which is between 15-and-20 percent of the operating budget. The fund balance for the end the 2014 fiscal year was $637,615, WECT reported.
However, some council members expressed concern Monday morning that the Muni course has been financially subsidizing the Inland Greens course. Council member Margaret Haynes said it didn’t seem fair to ‘drain’ the Muni to pay for Inland Greens, WECT reported.
Mayor Bill Saffo seemed to understand Haynes’ concern, and stated that he didn’t think it was necessary to raise rates at the municipal golf course given the situation at hand, WECT reported.
“We can understand that the fund has to take care of both the municipal course and the Inland Greens course, but at the present time since Inland Greens is not online we thought it was not a good time to raise rates by ten percent to help offset some of the cost over there,” Saffo elaborated.
Council member Kevin O’Grady disagreed with that sentiment, WECT reported.
“That money does not belong to the golfers. That money goes into the golf fund and the city decides how to spend it. We have another golf course that we’re trying to get online, and hopefully some day it will be profitable too,” O’Grady said.
No final decision was made regarding the Muni rate increase. An official budget proposal is scheduled to come before the Wilmington City Council on May 19, WECT reported.
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