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SLADE: RCSCW still ‘cutting fat hog’ with funds

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At a time when most organizations are tightening their belts due to business conditions, Recreation Centers of Sun City West officials are still “cutting a fat hog” with your money.

I requested line item detail for expenses characterized as operating expense. Advertising and promotions increased about 26% from last year; far in excess of any measure of inflation. Why?

Employee expenses (other than wages, benefits, payroll taxes, etc.) have huge increases in the “dues and subscriptions” and “professional development” line items. Each of these line items have increased around 50% year over year. These types of expenses should be the first to be trimmed as unnecessary spending in uncertain financial times.

I requested, and did not receive, a side-by-side comparison of budgeted vs. actual expenses for the period of the shuttering of facilities. The prior year budget details show utility expenses for RCSCW average more than $200,000 per month. Large facilities not occupied should have had HVAC, pool and hot tub heating, janitorial services, lighting shut off, and perhaps many other expenses saved. An informed and ethical management would pass these savings through in the form of lower 2021 fees. I am unaware of such a management or governing board proposal.

RCSCW has been granted $2,245,716 from the federal government for the payroll protection program. In effect, the amount replaces funding already in place. What happened to the funding saved?

There is a problem with lack of transparency and disclosure at RCSCW. I propose, in the short run, adoption of the RCSCW 2020-21 budget should be delayed and each line item in each summary budget category should be reviewed for cutting unnecessary spending as I have pointed out, and the proposed fee increase scheduled for July 1, 2020 should be reduced to reflect the savings on utilities and other operating expenses resulting from the facility closures. For the long run, any time a line item expense increases more than the underlying rate of inflation, a budget narrative should be included to explain why; line item detail in the summary budget should be included with each spending category so wasteful spending can be easily identified.

Every time RCSCW management proposes to spend a dollar, the question to be asked and answered is, “Do Sun City West residents benefit by spending this money?” RCSCW has too much money, spends it unwisely on some items and continually asks for more without any inclination to control costs. It is your money and mine so it should be spent at least as conservatively as all Sun City West residents spend their own money!

Tom Slade

Sun City West