The defense of the expense of Recreation News dominated the Amenity Authority Committee’s budget discussion on Wednesday at Savannah Center.
The anticipated $790,000 expense of Recreation News would make up of less than .5 percent of the proposed $42.3 million Amenity Authority Committee budget for 2020-2021. Recreation News would account for less than 1 percent of the $73 million amenity budget south of County Road 466, managed by the Project Wide Advisory Committee.
The roughly $800,000 annual cost of Recreation News has been sticking in the craws of residents who pay the freight, as well as their elected representatives.
In a more than one-hour presentation Wednesday before the AAC, Recreation Director John Rohan defiantly defended the Recreation News, seen by many residents as an antiquated plum print job putting about $14,000 per week in the coffers of The Villages Daily Sun. Critics complain the same information is run over and over in Recreation News and an online-friendly version should be made available.
“I am very passionate about what we are doing here,” Rohan said.
He said residents would not know about activities if it wasn’t for Recreation News.
Budget Director Barbara Kays offered some good news. The cost of Recreation News will be reduced slightly, budgeted at $790,000 for the coming year. The AAC’s share will be $197,500. Residents living between County Road 466 and State Road 44 will pick up $434,500 for the cost of Recreation News. Residents south of State 44, who pay amenity fees to the Developer, will pay $158,000 for the publication of Recreation News.
She noted that Recreation News is a “drop in the bucket” when it comes to the AAC and PWAC budgets.