By Tyler V. Hoeppner, The Republic
thoeppner@therepublic.com
Columbus will lose $3.2 million from its budget in 2010 due to flood damage and property tax laws, Mayor Fred Armstrong said Wednesday at a meeting about Greenbelt Golf Course.
"You'll see some services reduced," he said.
One of the casualties could be the Parks and Recreation Department: mainly Greenbelt.
Greenbelt, along with Par 3 Golf Course, lost nearly $39,000 in 2007. Because of the June floods and the temporary closing, the loss for 2008 is estimated at more than $218,000.
If things do not improve, city officials said they might have to close Greenbelt when budget cuts hit in 2010.
"What we will be doing is what we're all doing, I guess: more with less money," Armstrong said.
"That's why it's so important that we know about Greenbelt Golf Course and the financial shape it's going to be in, and then we get players to come back and play the course, because if it doesn't get any better in the next years, there won't be a Greenbelt Golf Course.
"There won't be a lot of things, but Greenbelt Golf Course will be one of them. Maybe. I don't want to scare anybody, but that's just the way it is."
The recently passed property tax law, House Bill 1001, among other things, lowered taxes for homeowners and capped future bills for most property owners.
Armstrong said the legislation will not greatly affect 2009, as the city is expecting a revenue loss of $220,000. Losses could be higher after flood reassessment, but Armstrong didn't expect those to take effect until 2010.
Course in trouble
Greenbelt hopes to open all nine holes within two or three weeks. Holes 6 and 7 have been closed since the flood.
Three companies submitted bids to build a bridge connecting Holes 6 and 7. Mike Keogh, Parks and Recreation Department director of business services, hopes to finalize a contract by noon Friday after speaking with the three companies.
City officials hope many players will return once the course is fully open, and support for the course is essential for its long-term success.
Chuck Wilt, director of Parks and Recreation, gave a presentation in which he outlined the state of Greenbelt and Par 3.
Expenses on necessary goods, such as fuels and fertilizers, have risen in recent years. The courses have done their best to cut costs in order to break even, but they have taken a loss the last three years, he said.
The course also had $50,000 worth of equipment damage from the flood.
The number of rounds at Greenbelt has dropped by about 18,000 since 1990, due mainly to the opening of other courses in the area.