Bailed Out

June 14, 2007

That sure was a generous thing the Town Council did on behalf of Mammoth's taxpayers earlier this month.

First, the council used some tax cash to bail out the Jazz Jubilee by handing out $15,000 when the organizers said they couldn't recover from losing a big sponsor. Then, on another front, the council lowered Development Impact Fees for builders on the premise that lowering the fees will prevent a collapse of the Transient Occupancy Tax base that fuels the town.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, though.

Anglers concerned about the late fishing season are said to be getting ready to petition the council for help in importing water to fill the streams in August and September, although no one knows how the council will pull that one off.

In a related effort, there are rumors that a contingent of skiers and snowboarders are gathering their forces to ask the council for money from the discretionary fund for a massive cloud seeding operation if we don't get big snow in time for Thanksgiving.

Realtors feeling the crunch of the current market are rumored to proposing that the town buy a dozen or so houses that have been on the market for months and months. Discretionary funds again would be used.

There's another rumor out there that condo owners, concerned that high common fees will affect their ability to rent their units during the ski season, will ask the council for a little help in reducing their fees.

Retailers with extra inventory are said to be interested in finding a way to sell their products to the town, and at sale prices, too.

Now comes rumors that a couple of local magazines and papers, having lost a few sponsorships themselves during the latest economic downturn, will ask the council for a little help from the discretionary fund. So far those rumors can't be confirmed, either.

That's what makes Mammoth so great. With all that discretion, the Town Council can conceivably bail out just about everybody. Except for maybe the Cleveland Cavaliers. No amount of money from the council can help that train wreck.

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