Oro Valley Councilman Mike Zinkin has been pushing for transparency and real numbers related to the purchase of the Hilton El Conquistador golf courses for months now. On Monday, in an email exchange between Zinkin and Town Manager, Greg Caton, admitted that thanks to the lack of transparency, budget projections were nearly created from whole cloth.
According to Caton the numbers upon which the Town might base projections are “only distributed to us for month over month comparison purposes.” Those figures, however, are essential to developing a budget, according to Zinkin.
Related articles:
El Conquistador Golf Acquisition Is Oro Valley’s Money Pit
Oro Valley Golf Course Purchase Not Paying Off
Report Shows Oro Valley El Conquistador Purchase “Was A Disaster”
Experts agree with Zinkin that there is “absolutely no reason not to share the Hilton monthly performance,” with the public and Town officials. They also agree that it would be impossible to develop monthly projections without all the necessary information.
At issue is the purchase of the El Conquistador golf courses by the Town, the golf course management company Troon and the inaccurate budget projections when compared to actual Hilton numbers. The email string reads:
Zinkin to Caton on October 12:
Greg,
In an email you sent me you stated that we did not have the monthly numbers from the Hilton, only the combined numbers through Oct. 31, 2014. At the last Council meeting you again stated that there were Hilton numbers that were proprietary. Yet the Council Reports for Aug. and Sept. show our number of rounds played compared to the Hilton numbers for the same month.
It appears that the monthly numbers are available. I am confused….either they are or they are not.
Mike
Canton responded on October 13:
Hi Councilmember Zinkin,
Troon has those figures and they are only distributed to us for month over month comparison purposes.
Thank you,
GregZinkin responds:
Greg,
Troon works for us. Why do we allow them to decide when to distribute critical information? If we allow them to keep the monthly performance of Hilton to themselves until after the month has ended, you can bet that there will always be an improvement.
There is absolutely no reason not to share the Hilton monthly performance. I am somewhat bothered that you developed your budget without this information. How can you possibly develop monthly projections without all the information?
If Troon has the monthly numbers they should be shared with their employer.
Yet was formulated without the monthly “actuals” as to number of rounds played. Our employee, Troon, has these numbers and only distributes them after the month has transpired to show how well we did? Is this how you put a forecast together…without knowing what occurred the prior year?
Related articles:
Oro Valley Considers Debt For El Conquistador Purchase
AZ Supreme Court Rules On Oro Valley Referendum
Oro Valley closes on El Conquistador CC
Oro Valley Town Manager accused of misrepresenting El Conquistador purchase