One of Brigantine’s most valuable assets was virtually given away on Wednesday night, May 6 inside Council Chambers.
Mayor Guenther, Council members Simpson, McClay, and even Brigantine’s Attorney gave the green light to hand over the Brigantine Links Golf Course Food & Beverage concession (and liquor license) to Mike ‘Mad Dog’ Morgan….for what many residents say was a mere pittance with no upside benefit for taxpayers.
Click Here: Download Brigantine Links Golf Contract Terms
Competing restaurant and bar owners are quietly fuming. Taxpayers are subsidizing a private business and a faceless, Florida based corporation called Meadowbrook Golf.
Rick DeLucry was the lone councilperson to exercise his fiduciary responsibility to Brigantine residents. DeLucry asked what local taxpayers get for giving away this city asset. ‘Nothing, except for the privilege of paying most of Morgan’s expenses including electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, telephone, landscaping, internet and cable.’
Councilman Delucry is also still trying to identify what services Meadowbrook Golf provides.
Who is Meadowbrook Golf? What services do they provide?
Why does Brigantine send money to CEO Ron Jackson? Why does Brigantine pay for Meadowbrook employees?
The resolution passed, approving the closed door deal between Mike Morgan & Ron Jackson’s Meadowbrook Golf Group, INC of Florida. DeLucry alleges that the deal was reached before council approved a management contract extension.
Bob McClay is the husband of Councilwoman Lisa McClay. (Lisa voted YES to handing over Links Golf concession to Morgan). Bob; a local Real Estate agent, actually did a better job than his wife at defending the local taxpayers that evening. Bob called out Councilman Andy Simpson & Mayor Guenther for what was termed a ‘scam’ of the Island’s taxpayers. (WATCH VIDEO)
Bob talked about topics that 99% of other Brigantine Real Estate agents would never say in public for fear of retribution. See VIDEO Below.
Brigantine Real Estate Executive; Bob McClay….
- This Mad Dog Golf Deal adversely affects Brigantine Real Estate
- Why so many BB-NJ web glitches? Today’s technology is too simple & easy for that to happen.
- Who is Meadowbrook? Why do we send them so much money?
- Why didn’t other restaurants get to bid on Links Golf Food & Bev?
- Brigantine gave away prime asset for just $1,000 per month? WTF?
- Private business would never make deal like this.
- Deal is similar to EHT McCullough’s Emerald Links Golf deal with ‘Library’ Bar & Restaurant
Vote to Give Away Brigantine Golf Course Asset:
- Guenther > YES
- Simpson > YES
- Sera > YES
- Bew > YES
- McClay > YES
- Piccardi > ABSTAIN
- DeLucry > NO
Brigantine Taxpayers will still take care of most of LINKS CLUBHOUSE expenses.
FACT: Taxpayers will NOT share in any of the upside profit of the City’s valuable food & beverage concession which includes a liquor license. Mayor Guenther and Andy Simpson are still trying to turn the ‘Links at Brigantine Golf Course’ into a non-profit. If successful, access to ‘Links at Brigantine’ book-keeping, operations and finances will be virtually impossible to review.
By The Numbers…
Meadowbrook Golf of Florida and CEO Ron Jackson receives:
- $6,000 per month from Brigantine (services unknown)
- $2,000 per year from Mad Dog Morgan
- $1,500 per month from Mad Dog Morgan
Mad Dog Morgan receives:
- City liquor ‘concessionaire’ license. (Estimated commercial value $225,000)
- Food and beverage concession
- City owned and maintained facility
- Majority of utilities paid for by taxpayers (electric, gas, water, sewer, phone, landscaping, internet, cable)
Brigantine Taxpayers responsible for:
- ‘Links’ employee salaries & healthcare ( including management ) SEE BILL PAY HERE
- Majority of utilities: electric, gas, water, sewer, phone, landscaping, internet, cable
- New golf cart leases
- Grass seed & fertilizer
The concessionaire liquor license that Morgan needs at the City owned ‘Links at Brigantine’ golf course is still being processed by NJ State ABC. Background checks are in progress.
In other “Only in Brig” news, the Mad-Dog / Meadowbrook Brigantine Golf Contract was supposed to be posted on the city website (BB-NJ.com) for all to see prior to a vote. City Clerk; Lynn Sweeney apologized for the 5th website ‘glitch’ of 2015. Sweeney visibly squirmed and said she couldn’t fit the 7 page Mad Dog Morgan / Meadowbrook contract terms into the council agenda.
City Manager Ed Stinson said he was hard at work trying to fix the BB-NJ.com problems that have plagued City Hall for the past 5 years. On the flip side, the city clerk was able to fit the ‘Portable Toilet & Human Feces on the Beach’ ordinance into the agenda, and have Brigantine webmaster / Police Chief; Timmy Reed, get it promptly posted to the municipal website.
WATCH VIDEO >>
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Do any of the council persons have rental properties they would like to rent to me? I have an even better deal then the one they struck with Morgan.
I will pay twice the monthly utility bills for their rental property?
Example: If the total utilities are $250 per month I will gladly pay $500 per month!
Please reply with the specifics.
Brigantine has been a municipal snake pit for a long time now. Deals like this golf course giveaway; excess number of city employees — especially with the almost criminal nepotism; the excessive compensation of the city employees; and the majority of property owners (nonresidents) held captive without having input.
I recently sold my Brigantine property after 15 years, partly due to the corruption rivaling Philadelphia.
Even selling the property at a loss felt fantastic as compared to continuing incompetence of those in charge of what could be a great place.
You could have converted the property to a rental and received the windfall utilities reimbursements income!
The people there voted for him again. Oh well
They all will get their day. This is a disgrace.
If we knew then what we know now we would never have bought in Brigantine. Everyone who has voted this dictatorship into office again and again benefits. I have never seen such disrespectful disregard for ALL of Brigantine’s tax payers. They spend and give away just to benefit their friends. So why should anyone bite the hands that feed them.
These are the words I think of when I think of Brigantine: dictatorship, nepotism, cronyism, back door politics, greed, selfishness. Sounds like an episode of Boardwalk Empire.
If Guenther and Simpson are endorsed by Glouco transplant renter, seagull feeding shoobie like Brina… whats not to trust ?