DEPTFORD, N.J. The RiverWinds Community Center, a contentious establishment enmeshed in debt and taxpayer subsidies, was toured by a busload of Ocean County officials, including Lakewood Mayor Menashe Miller and a number of Ocean County commissioners, who came to West Deptford.
According to county staff who asked not to be named, George Gilmore, the Ocean County GOP Chairman and registered lobbyist for South Jersey Democrats, joined the trip even though he had no formal position with the county.
Given his connections to the political forces behind RiverWinds, a facility that has become a financial burden on residents of West Deptford, Gilmore’s visit sparked curiosity.
The facility was constructed at a cost of $58 million and is still losing money every year. At the moment, taxpayers pay about $3.9 million annually to bridge the gap between running expenses and membership fee income.
The remaining debt at the RiverWinds facility is more than $22 million, and the yearly operational expenses, including debt payment, come to almost $5.8 million.
In public forums, officials have pointed out that the township’s debt load is still substantial. Due to the state of the economy, efforts to sell off land parcels in order to pay off the debt have stopped.
Gilmore is allegedly promoting a comparable development in Ocean County, aiming for a location at Ocean County Park, in spite of these obstacles.
Concerns regarding the idea are being raised by locals and other outsiders, who point to Gilmore’s history. Even though many of the projects he has worked on have either fallen through or resulted in financial losses, he has still been paid as a consultant.
John D. Rockefeller gave the park to the county, and its preservation is also under jeopardy. The Gilmore-influenced board of commissioners may be able to amend the park’s current regulations prohibiting new construction. Gilmore tried and failed at the Ciba Geigy superfund site in Toms River years ago, but it’s unclear if he could persuade the board to sell off parts of the park for residential and commercial development.
Financial concerns mount over Gilmore s proposal
Replicating the RiverWinds model, which mostly depends on taxpayer subsidies, would put Ocean County at financial peril. West Deptford’s initial debt was spread out over 20 years, but it also came with extra costs and taxes, which put a long-term strain on the community’s taxpayers.
The matter has been exacerbated by Gilmore’s lobbying connections to South Jersey Democrats who arranged the RiverWinds contract, in addition to the money issues. Even though Gilmore is not officially a member of the county government, he still has a big say in Ocean County politics, even if he lost badly in the GOP primary last Tuesday. Bill Spadea, Gilmore’s selected candidate, lost to Jack Ciattarelli in a historic landslide in that election.
According to public records, West Deptford Township had intended to sell off land for development in order to reduce the RiverWinds debt, but plans have been thwarted by shifting market conditions. Consequently, the multimillion-dollar deficit is still borne by taxpayers.
For the people, the project was a total financial failure, but all of the lobbyists, engineers, and consultants received full compensation.
Concerns that Ocean County would experience similar financial challenges if it proceeds with a project similar to RiverWinds have been heightened by the visit.
During a recent town hall, one local said, “It’s a money pit that taxpayers are forced to keep filling.”
Gilmore’s influence and the feasibility of establishing a RiverWinds-style facility in Ocean County have come under closer investigation as a result of the bus journey.
