The City golf courses begin every year with a negative working capital. This means that they require city funding to operate. While the golf courses generally bring in a little more than they spend every year, they will not begin a year in the black until 2064 (based on current rates of revenues and profits)

Golf Courses: Beginning Working Capital

2006 : $(879,864)

2007 : $(850,213)

2008 : $(792,655)

While the golf courses pay the City back at the leisurely pace of about 2% per year (enjoying capital improvements, as well a generous interest rate - in 2007, the City additionally spent more than $10,500 on capital improvements to the golf courses), the City of Arvada could be spending the money it has lent to the golf courses on essential City services, such as law enforcement, economic development and securing the rights of every citizen to vote.

$800,000 of debt, plus $10,500 of capital improvements is a lot of money! By loaning money at less than inflation, the City loses money every year: if the City invested $800,000 in something else, they could expect to get a payback rate of greater than 2%/year.

A Privatization of Courses in Arvada will Lead to Higher Property Values, Economic Development & Improved Quality of Life

Why should the City continue to loan money below the rate of inflation to subsidize a sport that most Arvadans can not or do not enjoy? Proponents of the golf courses claim improvements to land values (citing the study undertaken at Colorado State University by Watson, Davies and Thilmany), efficient water use and the creation of wildlife habitat. However, these so-called benefits are misconstrued.

It is true, according to that excellent research done at CSU, that Colorado's golf courses, on average, are very efficient with the water that they use. They are, in fact, as efficient in water use as the average residential lawn! However, golf courses still use about 652,446 gallons of water per acre per year in Colorado, and Arvada, no less than any other City in the State, simply cannot afford this waste of resources.

If the millions of gallons used on Arvada's golf courses were reapplied to wetlands or reclaiming natural areas for reservation, trails or parks, there would be little negative change in the property values in the City...while there would be a positive impact on Arvada's natural resources, tourism industry and quality of life. This solution disregards entirely the possibility of giving some of that water back to the farmers downstream that grow Arvada's food.

Why continue to waste money on this unessential city service, when the people of Arvada would be benefited as well - if not better - through a reallocation of resources?

Golf Courses Poison the City and People of Arvada

Golf courses also pollute, through the use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides (Pearce 1993, and others), through soil erosion, and the disruption of the natural habitats that would otherwise decrease the City's pollution.

While 15% of the State's golf courses are members of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (a program provides guidelines for golf course management to protect and encourage wildlife habitat and reduce potential environmental concerns), a golf course is still not a wildlife sanctuary and reduced environmental impact is NOT zero environmental impact.

Why does the City subsidize these expensive courses when they destroy the natural resources of Arvada, when they are so expensive, when they return so little to the people?

What I Will Do When Elected :
Elect Mary Choate to City Council!

One of the first things I will do when elected will be to undertake the long process of eliminating the City's investment into golf courses. I will endeavor to ensure the City sells its golf courses, and, if there are no buyers, to reclaim the land into lower-cost natural parks that may be enjoyed by more citizens while helping to develop Arvada's tourist industry.

I will reallocate the resources currently allocated to golf courses in many ways:

1) By providing, through AURA, low-interest, small loans (under $10,000) to Arvada residents wanting to purchase an existing home or start up a business. This would develop not only the physical infrastructure of Arvada, but the financial infrastructure necessary for Arvadans to establish their financial independence through self-employment.

2) Provide stipends to small business owners in Arvada to attend classes at local Colleges and Universities. This would improve the efficiency and competitiveness of Arvada's small businesses.

3) Provide financial assistance to "independent" citizens (those who belong to no political party) to participate in City and other elections. This will improve Arvada's representation in County, State and National government.

4) Reduce the air, noise and water pollution from Arvada by a) redirecting resources into reclamation of lands damaged by the golf courses, b) directing police to undertake stricter enforcement of existing laws and providing the police with the resources to undertake the enforcement.

5) Increase the number of police officers and improve the capacity of judicial facilities. Improved funding for Police and Judicial departments will mean, besides less pollution, safer neighborhoods.