Set the record straight on our Country Club

It has come to my attention from multiple sources, that my opponent in the NPB Village Council Runoff Election scheduled for April 7th, is spreading false rumors about me. I can no longer sit back and remain silent. I have never spoken a disparaging word about her and cannot have false statements circulate about me. The rumor she is spreading states that I am in favor of "privatizing" the NPB Country Club. Nothing could be farther from the truth than that statement. 

To clarify, I am on the record at a Village Council meeting back in May of 2024 addressing the Council on ways to save taxpayer money. I had a resident of NPB who is very familiar with the operations of the Country Club, who owns and manages multiple clubs, review the financial statements of our Country Club. His statement to me was that the Village is running a "bloated operation". He stated that the $3 MILLION Dollar payroll at the Country Club was way out of line. He further stated that the maintenance costs at the Country Club were much higher than in the private sector. He offered to lease the Country Club from the Village and pay us $1 MILLION Dollars per year in rent. This would have eliminated the financial burden on the taxpayers of NPB.

I stood in front of the Council and made the following statement on behalf of the residents and taxpayers of NPB, "If we as a municipality cannot run the Country Club profitably, perhaps we should consider leasing it to a private operator who will take the financial burden off the taxpayers and pay us rent." I pointed out that NOTHING will change for the residents. It will still be a PUBLIC course, we will still have July 4th Fireworks and the Boat Parade. We will still be able to go to the restaurant. We will still have access to the clubhouse and ballroom. I told them that the Village does not operate the restaurant, we lease it out to a competent restaurant operator and collect rent.  I suggested that we bring in a golf course consultant to analyze the operation and suggest ways to save money in order to alleviate the annual operating deficits and large capital improvement costs the Village was covering. This was merely a suggestion at a budget hearing to come up with ways to save money. I alone posses no authority to alter the Country Club in any way, shape or form. I have always advocated for the residents and will continue to do so.

I reiterate, the statement of me wanting to "privatize" the Country Club is patently false and should be immediately retracted. I doubt this will happen but, that's politics for you. I still intend to run a clean and honest campaign and will never spread false rumors to get elected. That is just not the type of person I am.

Yours Truly,

Ron Okolichany