Wendel: Reader endorses 3 candidates in Sun City rec board election
Posted
By Mike Wendel, Sun City
There are seven candidates running for three open Recreation Centers of Sun City board seats. Early Voting started Nov. 7. Election day is Tuesday Dec. 13.
I urge Sun City residents to get involved and vote. Last year four board members were elected. The vote tally range was 1,409 to ,630 votes. There are more than 32,000 members eligible to vote. This is an appalling 5% voter turnout. We can do better as a community.
For more than two years, I have attended almost all the board meetings. I have watched the videos for those few I missed. I have attended many of the committee meetings. I served on the RCSC Communications meeting for more than a year until it was disbanded.
Our community is on very solid financial ground. We have about $78 million in assets (building, equipment and furnishings). We have $38 million in cash (savings, reserve and Preservation and Improvement Fund accounts). We have a guaranteed income stream of approximately $15 million from our assessments, which some refer to as membership fees. The membership pays for the recreation facilities, and we consume the recreation through active participation in one or more activities.
The 9-member board, elected by the membership, oversees the RCSC management and staff. The board approves the budgets (operating and PIF), which define the amount of money that can be spent each year. The RCSC general manager is responsible for providing the recreational facilities and services. The GM is tasked to provide members with the most value for what they pay. In some situations, the GM has stated his job is to save money, inferring this is the primary value he provides.
For the most part, everything looks good on the surface. RCSC management and staff do an outstanding job. But things get delayed, and not because of a lack of funding. But the board has not been effective with communication to the residents. RCSC management has also shown some reluctance to share information. Sometimes the board decides the information is confidential and other times its unnecessary red tape.
The Board is key to improving recreation in Sun City. Management is key to delivering recreation. Members should pay attention to the board’s successes and failures in their job. They are volunteers and not paid. They should be applauded for volunteering so much time and energy to represent the members.
Please vote. Participate.
I endorse three candidates running for the open board seats — Steve Collins (running for re-election), John Fast and Jean Totten. I believe these three candidates will provide the most significant improvement and help make our recreation even better.
Watch the videos on the “Sun City AZ” YouTube channel — board candidate introductions, and two candidate forums; recent board meetings; recent member/board exchange meetings.
