The Brigantine Democratic party deserves credit for not dropping the case for Ron Jaworski managing our money-losing golf course. They posted the following on their website:
One of the most hotly-debated issues on City Council over the last few years has been what to do about the financially-struggling Brigantine Links Golf Course. That debate came to a head in 2015, with a vote on whether to enter into a long-term lease to have Ron Jaworski Golf operate the course. The Republican majority, voting-as always-in a bloc, rejected the Jaworski proposal.
It was perhaps the single worst decision made by the current majority. But let’s be clear-it wasn’t a mistake. Mistakes result from faulty data, or poor analysis, or sometimes just bad luck. The rejection of the Jaworski deal-which was clearly superior in every way to any alternative course of action-was an intentional and calculated political “hit” by the Republicans. There was no way they were ever going to let control of the golf course operations go to anyone outside their network of family and friends.
So what has happened since? Well, first the majority worked a backroom deal to steer the food and beverage operations to a selected vendor, then stumbled through various missteps in rebidding that contract. Day to day management is now under the Atlantic County Improvement Authority. They do a good job, but as a public agency they can’t pay the City any fees or contribute to the cost of capital improvements-both of which would be happening under the Jaworski proposal.
And what is going to happen next? What should happen is that Brigantine should solicit new proposals from third-party private operators to take over the course operations. That will never happen with a Republican majority, though. Instead, what will happen is that the course will continue to struggle, and the taxpayers are going to be responsible for all shortfalls in operating costs, along with all the costs of the capital improvements that the City keeps pretending, aren’t needed to keep the course functioning.
Costs which could have been-and still could be- paid by a professional, private golf course operator like Ron Jaworski Golf.
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