This week I received a call from a concerned citizen of Lee County, at 7am in the morning. They were upset over the county’s decision to borrow $1.5 million in additional funds for a library that was supposed to cost $4 million out on Hwy82. Even in good economic times, $1.5 million is a lot of money. I missed the last Commission meeting due to a business trip, so I researched the available information on the County website.
The original estimate was for $4.4 million, the state would provide $2 million and the county would match. The county approved $2 million in matching, so we are already short $400k. For that we would get a new library and a large meeting room that could handle 300 people. The land was to be donated. So for $1.5 million more what do we get? A new library and a meeting room for 400. This was beginning to sound like a typical government project with growth creep. Maybe the toilets are going to be gold plated?
To finance this project, we are going borrow the money, and pay it back from SPLOSH funds, which due to bad economic times, is already $10 million behind in estimated collections. Is this a sound economic policy? You tell me.
Now to be honest, could we use a meeting room that can handle 400 people in the county, yes we could, but how often? Let’s be optimistic and say we host 12 event’s a year that need this size room, exclude building maintenance, personnel cost, electric and water and other miscellaneous costs such as interest on the loan, over a 20 year period, each event would cost the county $6250 dollars for the $1.5 million expansion. Are we going to charge that amount for each meeting, doubtful?
Proponents say we need this to attract future economic growth, and maybe a hotel might build there. If a business goes to the bank for a loan, they want to see a concrete business plan, to show that this loan will be viable, and the business will succeed. Where is ours and how do you execute it?
Build it and they will come is pie in the sky.
While the north end of the county is still waiting for basic services, they were promised a Fire/EMS station 2 months ago, still no sign up even for the location yet; you could build 2 stations for this price and staff them. Maybe it’s time for more people who care to start showing up at these commission meetings and letting the commissioners know we are watching or you could call. I know of one who is available 24/7 on his cell.
-Mike Sabot
Actually, the meeting room isn’t the least bit essential for the economic growth of Lee County. What is essential for Lee County’s growth is for Albany to keep screwing the pooch so people look north instead
Seriously, this is typical government screw-up. They want to spend more money than was initially approved, and trust that now they’ll catch people with that “well, we’re already obligated to see this done, so we’ve GOT to do it.”
Some things are universal…universally wrong.