Town debates Longboat recreation center

Longboat Key Mayor Jim Brown assuaged the concern of a resident last week by stating the town is not moving forward with a $5 million to $7 million recreation center project until funds are available.

Longboat Key resident Ray Rajewski sent an email to Brown Sunday, May 22, asking Brown why the town would be moving forward with a Bayfront Park concept plan and a recreation center project when its facing millions of dollars in pension unfunded liabilities.

“The town is facing a potential pension liability of millions of dollars and a beach nourishment liability of some $40 million to $50 million and now you are contemplating a community center for some $5 million to $7 million dollars?” Rajewski asked. “It seems that your intention is to move forward and spend more funds for a design on something that the residents don't need. While I am not opposed to a community center, what are the priorities?”

Brown responded on Sunday by explaining no one is proposing to move ahead with the project until the time is appropriate.

Brown also noted there are potential funds such as the infrastructure surtax funds that could be used to help fund the project.

“I share your concerns about potential future burdens on the tax payers and I have no desire to make that worse,” Brown wrote. “That having been said, I feel that a community center will be a great asset to the town and this is backed up by many individuals in the community coming to the commission to ask us to move forward.”

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].