irst and foremost, to reduce reckless spending by the Richmond Hill City Council. The amphitheater is a perfect example. It was rushed along to have it ready for the Seafood Festival. The Seafood Festival couldn’t use it because it’s too small. The stage also faces the wrong way. Now Richmond Hill has its own $600,000 Edsel.
Here’s another example. From Bryan County News, 9/5/09, the city center should be done by January next year, is running under budget by $100,000 to $150,000 and should wind up costing about $6.2 million.
Really?!!! What about the Bryan County News article from 11/3/05 that reports the total cost of the city center as $5,000,000? How can something that will now cost 24% more than projected in 2005 be called "under budget". There is a 4 year gap, however a 24% cost increase is exorbitant.
Maybe you’d like to see yet another sample of questionable thinking by city government. According to the Bryan County News, the city council was discussing the proposed city center and questioned if there would be room for a hotel on the grounds. Should the city even have considered getting involved in the hotel business – especially with that hotel tucked away at the rear of the park?
Background:
I’ve been living in Georgia for nearly 15years and a resident of Richmond Hill for about 11years. When I came here, it was to open a manufacturing and supply facility for the aerospace industry. This was a business I moved into Georgia, creating 30 new jobs. At the same time, I also owned a machine shop in the northeast that serviced the aerospace industry.
Prior to that, I was a police officer for 10 years and a detective for another 11 years before retiring from the police force.
Read the rest of this profile in Saturday's BCN.