Back in August, I wrote a blog post about the Crooked Creek golf course site in Fuquay-Varina, and a push by some local residents to turn it into a park.  At the time, I praised Wake County Commissioner Jessica Holmes, for taking a stance against the use of tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on this project.  She continues to be a refreshing voice of sense on this issue.  As quoted in the News & Observer yesterday, she said,

Our role as county commissioners is to assess the needs of the county as a whole, and at this moment, there are much more pressing priorities than committing between $15 (million) and $23 million for another park,

County Commissioners voted to proceed anyway.

They’ll start by spending nearly $4 million to buy the property.  They’ll spend another $20 million to develop the site.  The News & Observer commented,

County staff had recommended that Wake not pursue the project, estimated to cost about $23.4 million. Staff will now identify and propose a way to pay for it. Commissioners have talked about putting a bond referendum on the ballot next year.

That’s right, a bond referendum.  Because the county doesn’t actually have $20 million just sitting around to build a park.  And yet, rather than let a private developer build housing, or let a group of citizens create a trust to build a park, or any number of other options, the county got involved.
It’s another case of Wake County Commissioners being reckless with other peoples money, with taxpayers’ money.  And it’s actually kind of arrogant, I think.  They don’t have the money.  They don’t even have a real plan for the financing.  It sounds like they’re just assuming that a bond referendum will pass.  It’s a perfect example of elected officials taking taxpayers, and their hard earned money, for granted.  Again.