So, we have to defer maintenance on the town’s infrastructure and pare Town services to the bone because there is not enough income, but the Mayor and Councilman Tolis suggest spending $4 million of our bonding capacity to create a swimming lagoon in Fountain Lake. In addition, the plan would add concessions and related commercial business, which would then be in competition with the businesses already at lakeside.

Don’t they believe the electorate knows that issuing bonds means a tax increase to pay for them? Is that really any different than a primary property tax, which is commonly referred to as the “gorilla in the room?”

There are limits to the amount of bonds the Town can issue and as Councilman Magazine suggests, we may need that capacity for other purposes. And then of course we are adding to the infrastructure, which we cannot afford to take care of properly now.

They cite the proposed contractor’s outstanding credentials and experience and suggest that the plan would increase utilization of the park and I would suggest that we simply cannot afford a project of this magnitude at this time.

If a community pool could be justified, a quick internet search shows that a typical cost for such a project is about $2 million, or half that of the lagoon project.

I believe it is imperative that we solve the revenue shortfall issue before we spend more money to build something else we can’t maintain and, at the same time, create more competition for some of the town’s existing businesses.