To the Editor:

I recently learned that the Town of Lady Lake is considering purchasing Lady Lake Cemetery which is in financial trouble.
Having volunteered and served in government at the local, school board and state level for over 30 years I know a couple of things. Municipalities are not competitive businesses – cemeteries however, are. Many cemeteries are profitable for their owners.
If the Town of Lady Lake wants to buy a cemetery to compete with other private cemeteries they should make it a referendum on the ballot. No private cemetery can ever compete with a municipal run service that uses taxpayer funded employees. This cemetery is already operating at a loss.It would require at least one full-time employee, maintenance costs could be excessive and there is little or no benefit for residents. As I understand the proposal most of the cemetery is not even in Lady Lake it would require another annexation. It is not known if there are outstanding debts or liens or what the hidden liabilities for perpetual care of the existing graves might be. Taking on a private concern that has no public benefit is not a good idea without the support of a majority of the taxpaying voters of Lady Lake. It is not a park or recreation facility nor can it be used for community events.
Cemeteries in Florida require year-round maintenance. I am guessing this would require an employee full time, with full benefits, at a cost of at least $60,000 to $75,000 per year. Why? There is no obvious reason to expend about $100,000/year on a cemetery that is only partially located in Lady Lake and does not benefit the residents in any way.
Many cemeteries are profitable organizations, even those that are designated “not for profit” by the IRS.  They still employ people to sell plots, open graves and maintain the facilities for a profit, it just is not taxable in many instances. However, in this case, the cemetery is a losing proposition to start and I can almost assure the taxpayers of Lady Lake will have no gain from its purchase except another drain on the budget.  It simply is not appropriate to pass these costs on to Lady Lake residents.  Someone sold the plots, benefited from those sales in the past and they were supposed to provide for perpetual care by setting aside funds in a reserve.  Whoever did that failed and now the taxpayers should not be the ones to make up for that failure.  If nothing else the survivors of those buried there should form an organization to take it over, maybe the Historical Society – but not the taxpayers of Lady Lake. My two cents.

Robert Nyce
Village of El Cortez