By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – The Olmsted Parks Conservancy says there's no money growing on trees in its deal with Erie County to manage Buffalo's Olmsted parks. Conservancy officials responsed to a recent county audit.
Auditors said the deal is costing county taxpayers about a million dollars a year, over the roughly $1.84 million the city pays the county to maintain the parks.
The county administration said the take-over would be revenue neutral. And the Conservancy was supposed to help make that work.
The mostly volunteer organization provides manpower and expertise. But auditors said that they aren't providing revenue reports as requiredd in the agreement.
Jonathan Holifield is the new Chief Executive Officer for the Conservancy. He said the problems will be corrected.
Holifield said they will soon begin submitting monthly reports of revenues received from concessions and golf fees.
But he said auditors and taxpayers will find no extra green in those reports. In fact, Holifield said there isn't enough money to get the job done properly. He said there is only one zone gardener for every forty acres of parkland. There should be four times as many.
Holifield said could mean that fees will have to go up. He said they are currently studying fees to see how much should be charged to realistically care for the parks long-term.
But right now, Holifield said the parks are in great shape. And he's o.k. with the comptroller's recommendation for an audit on the condition of the parks. But only if it fair, taking into account the condition the parks were in when the Conservancy took-over their care.
Still, he said the Conservancy welcomes accountability and doing all it can to make the parks as beautiful as they can be now and for future generations.
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