First, I want to make sure that I am clear that I want public water access in South County. I have communicated clearly from the dais at the recent public County Council hearings and directly in conversations to the Director of Recreation and Parks since those hearings that I want to see continued public water access in the heart of South County. Please know - I too am frustrated. I am not satisfied with where we are today and I am using all the power available to me from my Council seat to fight for a swift solution that provides public water access in South County.
In 2016 the County signed a 30 year lease for the Discovery Village Boat Ramp, contingent on yearly County Council funding. The lease stipulated yearly rent, with annual increases, and also mandated the county pay for the repair and maintenance of the private property, which the taxpayers do not own, for the lifespan of the lease. The timeline set forth in the lease for the County to begin repairs is so tight that there is not adequate time for a public, transparent appropriations process and also gave the landlord power to begin repairs themselves and bill the County for the work.
Simply put, as written, this clause of the lease makes the taxpayer vulnerable for what could be millions of dollars in expenses in the years to come - without proper oversight, transparency or accountability - for the expenditure of tax payer funds for repairs to privately owned property.
On June 9th, Julie Hummer of District 4 and Nathan Volke of District 3 introduced an amendment to the County Budget to remove funding for the Discovery Village lease in FY26, thus exercising the Council’s right, as the final fiscal authority over your tax dollars, to allow the lease to expire.
I have made no secret that I am a fiscal conservative and I take my responsibility as the steward of your money incredibly seriously. After examining the facts about this lease, it became clear to me that as written this lease was a bad deal for the taxpayer and makes your tax dollars increasingly vulnerable over time.
Ultimately, the Council urged, with bi-partisan support, for the County Executive to quickly renegotiate a new lease for public water access at Discovery Village with terms that are not so punitive to the taxpayer and ultimately the amendment to allow the lease to expire passed with a 6-1 bi-partisan Council vote.
I urged publicly from the Council Dais for The County Executive to renegotiate the lease at Discovery Village in order to reopen public access at this location- and since the Council vote I have continued to advocate to the Director of Recreation and Parks to fight for public water access with terms that are more fiscally responsible, more transparent, financially sustainable and with more accountability for your tax dollars, both in the very near term, (aka, as soon as possible) and in the years to come, and my understanding is the Department is working hard to achieve this end.
South County deserves better than our tax dollars being held hostage by one sided lease terms. South County deserves strong fiscal oversight. South County deserves public water access AND responsible stewardship, transparency and accountability of your hard earned money. It doesn’t need to be one or the other. It can and should be balanced appropriately. And public water access with that responsible and ethical balance is something I am proud to fight for.
Respectfully yours in service,
Shannon Leadbetter