Emailed to me by a former Springdale Cemetery Manager. I would appreciate the readers comments. Other bloggers may be free to copy and paste to your blog sites with comments as to the future of this local and possible state and national treasure. Please restrict your comments to the Cemetery and not personnel, past or present.
Thanks.
Merle
What is best for Springdale?
Springdale Cemetery is a national treasure; she has suffered through some tough times; she deserves to be protected and preserved. However, over the years many promises and commitments have been made by individuals and groups representing what they said were 'the best interests of Springdale'. While most were given in good faith, others were not; I like to think some were the product of hope and 'wishful thinking'.
In the fall of 2002 an agreement was created that drafted the Taxpayer into supporting the operations of Springdale with the commitment by those advocating municipal sponsorship that 'Springdale would be self-sufficient in three to five years'. The resulting Intergovernmental Agreement stated that the County of Peoria and the Park District, together, would assume the first $100,000 of any yearly operational deficit, while the City of Peoria would take title to the property and assume liability for any deficits over $100,000. With the help of grants and donations, the Springdale Historical Preservation Foundation, as the principal advocate of the agreement, would accept the primary financial responsibility the first three years. This at first glance seemed like a great deal for the City of Peoria and its Citizens, but by 2006, the magnitude of the challenge in returning Springdale to solvency was realized and it had become obvious that the commitment of self-sufficiency was unrealistic and could not be met, so the City Council asked the Springdale management to present a five year prediction in the form of a spreadsheet as to when the Taxpayer could expect deficit relief. We took our commitment to the Council and the Taxpayer very seriously presenting what we thought was realistic expectations for our future revenue and expenses; when revenues did not meet anticipated levels, we cut expenses. Later audits of Springdale revealed the 2007 and 2008 deficits were within 1% of the early 2007 forecast. The City's deficit liability for 2007 was $160,566 and for 2008 was $143,982.
2008 was not only an exceptional year in Springdale's modern history, as it turns out it, it was a pivotal year. Besides the reduction in the rate of deficit spending, Springdale was able to finish leveraging a match of over $230,000 required by an EPA grant, saving the Taxpayer that financial burden. The wonderful work and resulting match were accomplished successfully due to the efforts of Tri-County Planning, hundreds of dedicated Volunteers and professionals and a very capable Staff.
The predicted 2009 deficit liability of the City presented to the Council in early 2007 was $110,228; in late 2008 with the momentum of the recovery increasing, we anticipated we could get it down to $74,000. Unfortunately, the soon to be revealed audit is most likely to expose a City liability of around $300,000, equal to the two previous years combined; the 2010 financial picture looks even bleaker.
The Intergovernmental Agreement was well intended; it helped to pull Springdale back from the brink, but it is no longer working and Springdale again is approach a tipping point with a deficit going the wrong way. Sadly, I believe that the financial recovery of Springdale has been led astray by some of the same interests who championed her rescue; I feel their agenda and actions have halted the momentum of recovery and have created impediments to the financial relief of the taxpaying public. It is now the Taxpayer who needs rescue.
The Springdale Historic Preservation Foundation is an organization of noble heritage; in the past it was comprised of hundreds of caring individual and organizations whose only motives were to see Springdale rescued, respected and preserved. The current leaders of the Foundation, many of whom made the original pledge of limited taxpayer involvement, must now bear responsibility. Their narrow agenda, with a singular focus on the older stones and monuments, has demonstrated a disregard of current Family needs and have shown a lack of Taxpayer sensitivity.
So, I offer a solution that I feel will broaden the Foundation's agenda and focus Springdale's current and future leadership on self-sufficiency and the needs of the Families, at the same time placing the privilege of Springdale's support on those who desire and deserve it most. The Foundation leaders have always wanted complete control of the management of Springdale; they have, with the blessing of the City and at Taxpayer expense, pretty much had it for over a year. So, I say, let it be done; let them officially have it; let them run Springdale and let them support Springdale. The Intergovernmental Agreement as drafted in 2002 has become flawed; it has not been precisely adhered to by the City or the Foundation; it should be scrapped without penalty to any party. The County and the Park District should be freed from further required contributions. Ownership of Springdale should be passed to the Springdale Historical Preservation Foundation for a probationary period of anywhere between three and five years, after which time the City leadership will determine the City's future involvement and Springdale's ownership future.
This offers the Foundation leadership a much better deal than was offered the Taxpayer in 2002; over the last eight years the labor of an army of dedicated Volunteers and millions of dollars of Taxpayer's contributions have created a new and better Springdale that, under the right circumstances, has a much better opportunity to prosper and become self-sufficient.
While this may not be the best solution for Springdale's financial dilemma, it may be the most fair.
Pat Lewis
Springdale Cemetery is a national treasure; she has suffered through some tough times; she deserves to be protected and preserved. However, over the years many promises and commitments have been made by individuals and groups representing what they said were 'the best interests of Springdale'. While most were given in good faith, others were not; I like to think some were the product of hope and 'wishful thinking'.
In the fall of 2002 an agreement was created that drafted the Taxpayer into supporting the operations of Springdale with the commitment by those advocating municipal sponsorship that 'Springdale would be self-sufficient in three to five years'. The resulting Intergovernmental Agreement stated that the County of Peoria and the Park District, together, would assume the first $100,000 of any yearly operational deficit, while the City of Peoria would take title to the property and assume liability for any deficits over $100,000. With the help of grants and donations, the Springdale Historical Preservation Foundation, as the principal advocate of the agreement, would accept the primary financial responsibility the first three years. This at first glance seemed like a great deal for the City of Peoria and its Citizens, but by 2006, the magnitude of the challenge in returning Springdale to solvency was realized and it had become obvious that the commitment of self-sufficiency was unrealistic and could not be met, so the City Council asked the Springdale management to present a five year prediction in the form of a spreadsheet as to when the Taxpayer could expect deficit relief. We took our commitment to the Council and the Taxpayer very seriously presenting what we thought was realistic expectations for our future revenue and expenses; when revenues did not meet anticipated levels, we cut expenses. Later audits of Springdale revealed the 2007 and 2008 deficits were within 1% of the early 2007 forecast. The City's deficit liability for 2007 was $160,566 and for 2008 was $143,982.
2008 was not only an exceptional year in Springdale's modern history, as it turns out it, it was a pivotal year. Besides the reduction in the rate of deficit spending, Springdale was able to finish leveraging a match of over $230,000 required by an EPA grant, saving the Taxpayer that financial burden. The wonderful work and resulting match were accomplished successfully due to the efforts of Tri-County Planning, hundreds of dedicated Volunteers and professionals and a very capable Staff.
The predicted 2009 deficit liability of the City presented to the Council in early 2007 was $110,228; in late 2008 with the momentum of the recovery increasing, we anticipated we could get it down to $74,000. Unfortunately, the soon to be revealed audit is most likely to expose a City liability of around $300,000, equal to the two previous years combined; the 2010 financial picture looks even bleaker.
The Intergovernmental Agreement was well intended; it helped to pull Springdale back from the brink, but it is no longer working and Springdale again is approach a tipping point with a deficit going the wrong way. Sadly, I believe that the financial recovery of Springdale has been led astray by some of the same interests who championed her rescue; I feel their agenda and actions have halted the momentum of recovery and have created impediments to the financial relief of the taxpaying public. It is now the Taxpayer who needs rescue.
The Springdale Historic Preservation Foundation is an organization of noble heritage; in the past it was comprised of hundreds of caring individual and organizations whose only motives were to see Springdale rescued, respected and preserved. The current leaders of the Foundation, many of whom made the original pledge of limited taxpayer involvement, must now bear responsibility. Their narrow agenda, with a singular focus on the older stones and monuments, has demonstrated a disregard of current Family needs and have shown a lack of Taxpayer sensitivity.
So, I offer a solution that I feel will broaden the Foundation's agenda and focus Springdale's current and future leadership on self-sufficiency and the needs of the Families, at the same time placing the privilege of Springdale's support on those who desire and deserve it most. The Foundation leaders have always wanted complete control of the management of Springdale; they have, with the blessing of the City and at Taxpayer expense, pretty much had it for over a year. So, I say, let it be done; let them officially have it; let them run Springdale and let them support Springdale. The Intergovernmental Agreement as drafted in 2002 has become flawed; it has not been precisely adhered to by the City or the Foundation; it should be scrapped without penalty to any party. The County and the Park District should be freed from further required contributions. Ownership of Springdale should be passed to the Springdale Historical Preservation Foundation for a probationary period of anywhere between three and five years, after which time the City leadership will determine the City's future involvement and Springdale's ownership future.
This offers the Foundation leadership a much better deal than was offered the Taxpayer in 2002; over the last eight years the labor of an army of dedicated Volunteers and millions of dollars of Taxpayer's contributions have created a new and better Springdale that, under the right circumstances, has a much better opportunity to prosper and become self-sufficient.
While this may not be the best solution for Springdale's financial dilemma, it may be the most fair.
Pat Lewis
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