By Ted Carter

 The City Council that takes office after Tybee’s Nov. 3 election will inherit a four-year-old headache and drain on the treasury – River’s End R.V. Park and Campground. But you can expect the new council is likely arrive with new prescriptions for easing the pain caused by the park and campground’s $500,000 annual loss.

How to stop the fiscal bleeding was among the questions put to incumbents and challengers alike at a  City Hall candidates’ forum Tuesday night sponsored by  the Tybee Island Residents and Property Owners Association. 

Current council members taking part in the forum used the question to criticize the previous council’s judgment in buying the seven-acre property for $7 million. They also repeated long-held claims that the earlier council did not adequately weigh public opinion before the acquisition.  “It was wrong to not let residents vote “ whether to buy it, incumbent Dick Smith said.

Recriminations aside, incumbents and challengers agreed the park and campground must undergo change or the half-million-dollar annual losses will continue.

“We’ve got to run it like a business,” said Charlie Brewer, an incumbent. The city is leaving the same staffing in place through both peak and slow seasons, thus needless adding to costs, he said. “That’s not efficient management,” he added.

Cut overhead and look at reducing staff, said incumbent Barry Brown. “At one time it was run by three people. Now they’ve got seven or eight.”

Incumbent Wanda Doyle, who voted to buy the property as a council member in 2006, conceded the city “probably did pay too much for the park.” She said the city needs to go to work in earnest to cut the park’s expenses. She said she envisioned a five-year plan for getting it done.

Smith and challenger Bill Garbett agreed some expert help may need to be called on to develop a sound fiscal plan for running River’ End.

While critical of what she called the “closed-door” manner in which the previous council decided to buy the park, challenger Anne Miller insisted the city must find a way to hang on to it.

Challenger Shirley Sessions was a member of the 2006 council and voted for the property purchase. She said the process was open and transparent and noted the public addressed the issue at a pair of hearing before the final vote.  She conceded the city probably overpaid but insisted “this was a wise investment that will have returns in the years to come.”

Tybee bought the property from developer Bobby Chu for about $7 million. City officials said at the time the property would give the city more preserved green space at a time developers were rapidly buying up island land. Further, officials said, the campground would fit into the city's long-term master plan for preserving green space and creating a linear park. And, they said, it enhances public access to Tybee's beaches in keeping with federal law under which Tybee can receive beach renourishment funds.

Fallout from the purchase has made council incumbents and challengers alike reluctant to endorse any more land buys to give the city additional green space. In answering a question on new green space, forum participants -- with the exception of Gabrett -- were firm that the city should refrain from buying anymore for the time being. Garbett said if a very attractive deal came its way, the city should consider it.

Meanwhile, the park and campground’s financial drain goes beyond losses related to paying off the purchase debt.

At its Sept. 24 meeting, the City Council reluctantly agreed to invest $70,000 for electrical upgrades at River’s End .

Urged on by Mayor Jason Buelteman, council voted 3-2 to pay for the work, though none of the members voting for the allocation were too pleased to hear the campground would need electrical upgrades to remain safe for visitors.

Was not “an inspection” of the property done before the city bought it? asked Councilman  Dick Smith . City Manager Diane

Schleicher, who was not with the city at the time of the purchase, stayed mum, as did other department heads at the meeting.

Smith voted to spend the money, which covers a $32,060 bid from Oglesbee Electric Co. and an additional expenditure of about $42,000 for in-house work. Paul Wolff, and Wanda Doyle also voted for the allocation. Charlie Brewer and Barry Brown dissented.

Buelteman said inspectors have concluded the electrical wiring at the park and campground has deteriorated to the point of endangering visitors.