Here is another edition of the It's Your Town newsletter, it covers the January 17th, 2012 Middletown Township Committee meeting. As readers of the blog know from listening to audio clips posted last week, this meeting was very eventful.A a late notice stating that the Township will not open the Swim & Tennis Club this year was posted to the Township's website on Friday 13th, heading into the long Martin Luther King 3-day holiday weekend and apparently, from the sentiment of the members present at the meeting, they weren't informed previously of the dire financial situation of the Swim Club, over two dozen people voiced their concerns to the Township Committee.
There were a few Swim Club members who questioned the expenses incurred by the Township on behalf of the Middletown Arts Center (MAC) in relation to those incurred to operate the Swim Club. They were told by Mayor Fiore and Township Attorney Brian Nelson, that the MAC was on the way towards profitability and that the utility expenses were down dramatically to only $30 to $40K per year! Attached to the newsletter are the actual figures for the past five years so you can determine for yourself what is accurate.
Regardless, when the Club closes, all Middletown residents will be responsible for repaying the original bond used to purchase the Club instead of the member fees stated in the Pool Club ordinance.
And if you would like to listen to the companion audio clips from the meeting, I have them below
Committee comments #1
Committee comments #2
What about the kids?
Tom Wilkens comments
As always, if you wish to subscribe to the newsletter and receive in your inbox send a request to itsourtown@yahoo.com
5 comments:
Mike, I saw the comment that you wrote on Art Gallagher's blog. I attempted to respond however my comment is "awaiting moderation." It's a shame Art's 3 weeks in the county jail didn't toughen him up a bit. He will certainly need to become less sensitive in the future.
Anyway, this is what I wrote and what Art Gallagher censored:
"I like Middletown Mike. He's a class act. Even better, I'm betting he won't become a convicted felon in 2012."
In the section where you can place a link to a website, I put a link to one of my favorite websites.
Speaking of Art Gallagher, he should be formally indicted within a few weeks. Once the felony indictment is returned, I will send you a copy of that bill of indictment. I am sure your readers will enjoy reading it.
The township committee statement on the Middletown Arts Center utility expenses is way off. Since 2007 utilities (electric, gas/heat, sewer, water, etc.) have cost the taxpayer about $770,400 which averages-out to about $154,000 year. This is a much more accurate number for utilities costs then the $30,000 to $40,000 that Mayor Fiore quoted. (As a pension specialist at Prudential, I hope he does a better job with numbers for Pru clients.)
This doesn't include: salaries, pension, healthcare insurance, liability insurance, debt service, capital improvements, and overall building and grounds maintenance.
At best the center may be covering programming costs. If it were a business it would be bankrupt. Middletown should not be in the entertainment business with taxpayer dollars.
Like the swim club the arts center was supposed to be a self-funded non-profit. Two years ago, while running for office, Mayor Scharfenberger told resident taxpayers that the center would be self-sustaining by 2012. It is time to check-in with him and the rest of the tax and spend all Republican Middletown Township Commitee to see if the time-table for subsidizing the Arts Center has changed.
The Swim Club will close and probably be sold to a party that fits the definition of crony capitalist and the taxpayers will continue to pay down the bonnd debt for years to come. We will continue to pay bond debt for the Arts Center as well -- for years to come. Based upon Fiore's misstatement about utility costs, it looks like the taxpayer will continue to significantly subsidize the overall operations of MAC for years to come -- even though he claims that the township can only afford to pay for essential services.
The arts and cultural education programs are important to a thriving community. And, this kind of programming is not an essential community function/service for a municipal goverment to support on a long term (more than two years) basis with taxpayer dollars.
Heraclitus,
I saw your posted comment and found the link. I don't know why I clicked onto your name but I did and the link was there, thanks!
my email address is mikeinmiddletown@gmail.com drop me a line
Mike,
Very nice comeback on Gallagher's blog, kudos to you.
Anon 7:34,
Thanks ;o)
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