Watching Money
Fly Away
"You're
fired"
"...but since we have an
extra ninety grand sitting in the "budget" at beginning of the year, we'll give
it you".
That might sound pretty good if you were the
one getting the dough...but...how would it sound if you were the one giving it
?
That's what I was subjected to at the June
25th Sun City Anthem Board meeting.
But before we go into detail...a few facts!
A. During
a report from Association Treasurer, Tom Nissen, it
was learned that the path to association self-management has a strong reason to
move forward as quickly as possible.
Why?
...because every month that passes, it costs us approximately $36,000 in fees
paid to our management company, FSR.
OK...I thought...we've pretty much made the
decision to do so; we've hired a search firm, and if all goes well, we might be
well on our way to hiring a new General Manager in the 4th quarter of
2015.
B. Director Jim Mayfield brought up another interesting
point....we'll have to pay FSR what appears to be an early
termination fee that constitutes about $90,000.
So...the wheels of my 35 years of business
moxie then started to churn !
Ouch...OK...that's in the contract, so it
has to be paid !
But...no big deal...we have $90,000 in the
kitty budgeted for FSR salaries that didn't seem necessary to pay since it looks
like we'll be saying "toot-a-loo" before long.
And if that $90,000 was somehow burning a
hole in your pocket, why not to go FSR and say...
"Well boys, looks like
the final round-up is going to cost us three months worth of your services,
pretty close to that $90,000."
"How 'bout
compromising?"
"We'll either give you
the ninety grand for your employee salary increases, or we'll give it
to the company as a an early termination fee !
"Which one to
you want"?"
Something tells me that the company would
win that argument...but....
We'd win
too...
...instead of how the board decided to
handle the situation.
Their answer:
Let's give them
BOTH !
After all, "the money
was in the budget", right?
And my dear
readers, that's how people without RELAVANT BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
think !
We are in all likelihood going to shortly
terminate the management deal with FSR...so WHY are we
giving them an extra NINETY THOUSAND DOLLARS..when we
don't have to ?
But there was one super hero on that
board, Jim
Mayfield, who voted AGAINST GIVING THE NINETY GRAND
AWAY....
...and for that...it confirmed in our mind
our "thumbs up recommendation" to his reelection in the
spring.
So....Let's put this out to you, our
readers?
If you were confronted
with this option....knowing you could save NINETY GRAND...would you give it away?
Send us an email
at:
Of course there is always the same old
option that never seems to be adopted....
GIVING IT BACK TO THE
RESIDENTS !
Oh yeah...there's more
!
...about our favorite eatery, Cafe
V.
It was confirmed that
they were IN DEFAULT regarding utility
payments....
...and are you ready for
this?
Rumor has it they have let their
insurance lapse !
Bon A Petite ... and may a chicken bone
never get stuck in your nose !
My conclusion to this "valuable" afternoon...
After sitting through over two hours, even this guy would have had a headache!
Dick Arendt
Dick Arendt
Anthem Opinions
Administration
I cannot believe the lack of business sense within most of the group.
Good for Mayfield, he will have my vote.
There seemed to be a discussion at the board about whether that NINETY GRAND was a "salary increase" or a "salary adjustment" to bring our pay scales up to "industry standards". Why this seemed to matter at this late stage of the "FSR game", is baffling.
As a member of the audience, no matter what they called it, it was still costing NINETY GRAND from COMPANY COFFERS that could have been used for other more productive purposes.
Now...where does the $90,000 go?
We have given FSR full authority to spend it on WHOMEVER their little hearts desire.
Bottom line...anyone out there believe the guy on the bottom of the totem pole is going to get much of it...or...will the "brass" pay themselves handsomely, forgetting those in the trenches that actually do the work?
Whatever the case or whatever the reasoning, we are now $90,000 poorer as a result.
Let's also make sure you also know who voted FOR dropping the $90,000 !
Bella Meese
Rex Weddle
Carl Weinstein
Tom Nissen
Don Schramski
Secretary Jean Capillupo, was absent from the meeting.
No way would I "give it away." However, on the other hand, I would be the first one in line to accept it.
What a bunch of incompetent individuals. If it was their money, would they still have paid it?
And that restaurant...the board should have the courage to realize they are a failure and should fire them.