Letters to the editor: Golf course waste of our dollars

Golf course waste of our dollars

I was in the audience the night Clovis city commissioners voted to purchase Chaparral Country Club for $2.81 million.

The city took control of the golf course May 1. Not that much has improved since. The city has proven in the past it won’t spend the money necessary to have an exceptional golf course.

The city is also paying a $13,000 lease per month until the final paperwork is signed and for fertilizer, electricity to run the irrigation pumps and labor. The people of Clovis deserve to know what this extravagant venture has already cost.

Seems to be a huge investment for a small percentage of the population who actually play golf here in Clovis. This money could have been used for the betterment of all citizens, not just a select few. In a June 19 Clovis News Journal article, Parks and Recreation Director Bill Bizzell said a fountain to aerate the water at Dennis Chavez Lake — where hundreds of fish died recently — “would be too costly.” That’s nothing in comparison to the expense of buying and maintaining a golf course.

Did the city inquire what it costs to run and maintain an 18-hole golf course? Was there any forethought by our city commission before jumping headlong into this “Money Pit?”

Come on Clovis, it’s time for us to speak up and put an end to this extreme waste of taxpayer money. I encourage city residents to call their commissioners and mayor and tell them: No more.

The paperwork has not been finalized. Let’s stop the purchase of the Chaparral Country Club. Let’s remind the mayor and commissioners they were elected to represent all citizens. Surely, this money could be put to a much better use.