Whitepath Golf Course……. And now for the rest of the story.
Times Courier reporter Ryan Rees reported on the BOC workshop in this week’s edition, and his portrayal of facts was so far removed from reality that I feel compelled to inform the citizens of the whole situation concerning Whitepath Golf Course.

Gilmer County entered into a lease agreement in 2004 with Reece Golf to run the course. The lease provided that in the 6th (2010) year, the lease payments SHALL increase by the CPI plus 10%. This was never enforced and the County was shorted about $90,000 in revenue over the last 2 ½ years. While searching for funds to finish the Clear Creek ball fields I discovered the oversight and immediately brought it to the other Commissioners attention. A letter was sent to notify them of the MANDATORY increase and a group of concerned golfers attended our workshop.

Mr. Rees reported that I tried to “curtail” citizen input, but the truth is I asked them to wait their turn. We still had one more item concerning refinancing our debt on the agenda before “Citizens Wishing To Speak” and the gentleman that was to address us had already been waiting more than 3 hours. In his editorial, Mr. Rees commented that “perhaps that discussion could have been pushed to another date”. I strongly disagree. Just my opinion, but saving the taxpayers money by refinancing our debt, especially since current market volatility is threatening our ability to do just that takes precedence to listening to demands that the taxpayers continue to subsidize the golf course. The golfers forged ahead, interrupting the meeting and, if I understood it correctly (also reinforced by Mr. Rees’ editorial) their demand is that the Board of Commissioners violate their “oath of office” and continue to fail to enforce the lease as it is written. Why? Because the Lessee can’t afford it? The lease requires that the leaseholder file financial documents “no less than semi-annually”, but in nine years not one has been submitted. Under those circumstances, how do we know if we are creating a hardship or not? The bottom line is that we don’t have a choice. The lease is a written legal document that details the relationship between the leaseholder and the Gilmer County taxpayers. All three of us took an oath to account for the public money AND property. The golf course has a history of questionable transactions, and I will not turn my head and allow it to continue with a “wink and a nod”. Also I don’t’ care if I have to be a “bull in a china shop” to stop it.

That brings me to my last point. In the editorial, Mr. Rees said ”Bell keeps bringing up the $500,000 cost (Bell’s figure) of building the pro shop that opened two years ago. I feel that was an intentional misstatement. The pro shop cost $300,000 of the Clear Creek ball field money, but an additional $200,000 has been paid by the taxpayers for other improvements. Some were $1,975 for three stone steps to a “Tee box”, $42,592 for cart path repair and other items, and my favorite $4,844.75 for an online shopping cart. Yes, you read that right. In January 2012, Gilmer County taxpayers reimbursed the golf course leaseholder for a “shopping cart”. A shopping cart was created at TheSprinklerWarehouse.com for sprinkler system maintenance items. The cart was printed but to date no receipts have been submitted but the leaseholder was paid by the taxpayers for those items. Mr. Rees was present when I pointed this out to the Board of Commissioners, but I guess he didn’t feel it was newsworthy.

I say enough is enough. The lease is what it is and the leaseholder needs to adhere to it and fulfill their obligations to the citizens of Gilmer County. I find it not only sad, but infuriating that Mr.Rees and his fellow golfers feel that their recreational past time should be subsidized by the taxpayers and children of Gilmer County.

Very sincerely,
Randy Bell