Dave Dutile: Consider real costs of a devalued asset for taxpayers

To The Daily Sun,

I found Steven Hepburn’s letter informative regarding the mess at Gunstock along with your article from the July 22 edition of The Sun.

Looking at the P and L from this past season, the "area" as we used to call it made over $2 million. This is outstanding performance assuming I read the P and L correctly, with debt service under control and solvency not an issue for the county.

Looking at this from a distance, it appears that Tom Day and his team have done a great job.

So, what happens? The Gunstock management team resigns en-mass while the Gunstock Commission of non-ski business professionals inserts themselves in the day to day running of Gunstock when it's making money. That's a big red flag to me.

If the county does not want to be in the ski business after 90+ years, incentivize the team to stay and keep doing what they are doing and find a buyer to privatize it. Having a solid and successful team in place makes for an easier sale and positive succession.

If you don't want to sell it, the county reps, Norm Silber and Mike Sylvia, and the rest of the BDC need to get the commission in line and keep the amateurs out of trying to micromanage what appears to be a stellar or was a stellar management team.

If you don't do this, consider the real costs of a devalued asset currently owned by the taxpayer. Good luck selling it then.

Dave Dutile

Greenville, South Carolina