BILTMORE NEGOTIATIONS: DECISION SHOULD WAIT FOR NEW COMMISSION AND MAYOR
February 12, 2011 1 Comment
We should all urge the current city commission, mayor and city manager to hold off on any agreements and decisions on the Biltmore lease until the new commission is installed in April 2011.
An attempt now to push through an agreement by Mayor Slesnick and a Biltmore-friendly commission would not stand a test of transparency and openness.
This same commission is one that got us into this mess.
About Stephen E. McGaughey
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Any new agreement must be based clearly and directly on the first priority being maintenance of the resort. The Biltmore is in our hands because the Federal Government allowed the city to be the caretakers of this historic treasure. First and foremost, before anyone takes a profit, the never-ending demands of restoration and upkeep must be met. Any agreement that fails to take this principal tenet into account is unacceptable, period. This is not a cash cow for the city coffers, salaries, pensions, benefits, etc. If there is a profit, the city deserves a fair share. If not, don’t count on the Biltmore as a revenue source.