Previous city councils of Becker have been discussing ways to cover budget shortfalls for more than a decade. It appears as though the solution has been to kick the can down the road and let the Mayor and Council address the issue. 

 

I am suggesting the solution can come out of the question, “How does private business compete with publicly operated businesses and main a level playing field?” This has been the question that everybody seems to avoid asking and therefore the issue has been danced around since I moved here in 1997. 

 

Although the focus has been on the golf course the answer should also address the community center and now the food business as the clubhouse location.

 

I’m suggesting that this council face the issue head-on and reslove it once and for all. To me the answer is clearly to not subsidize the public operations and expect it to be fair and equitable toward private industry.

 

Without prejudice, I believe the answer is to find a solution that allows both the private and public operations to co-exist and be successful, without the use of public money to balance the books. It not only can work, it must work to serve both the private businesses and the citizens maintain both kinds of operations in the long term.