Committee green lights golf course application
BY ALYSSA MEIER
Editor
A five-person Sales Tax and Use board unanimously approved a motion to put $35,000 in Washburn sales tax funds toward Painted Woods Golf Course each January for the next five years.
Ladd Erickson and Jason Thorton represented the course during Monday night’s Washburn Sales Tax meeting, explaining the need behind the application.
“At this point, we do have the golf course cash flowing but barely,” Erickson explained to the committee. “We’re Basically breaking even.”
The application for funds explains that after expanding from 9 to 18 holes in 2014, the course encountered some problems and “developed a bad reputation” due to the level of difficulty of the course and the fact that many golfers were losing balls while playing.
The course has been working to regain customers and become profitable, with aide of money from the Wilton and Washburn park boards and sales tax funds. In 2013, Washburn contributed $50,000 and Wilton allocated $25,000. Five years later, Washburn and Wilton forwarded $25,000 and $12,500, respectively, to the course.
The most recent request, for $35,000 of Washburn sales tax funds each year for five years, would be put toward restructuring the course’s long-term debt and allow for increased cash flow to further grow the business.
