Rick Zach: Which business model would best benefit Belknap County taxpayers?

To The Daily Sun,

Gunstock has two possible business models.

Model A is where Gunstock is operated as a county-owned enterprise. Any year-end profits after salaries, expenses, etc. are returned back to Gunstock for capital improvements, maintenance, etc. Then if properly managed, an agreed-to percentage is returned to Belknap County with no strings attached. This was over $247,000 in 2021 and is likely to well exceed $300,000 in 2022. This is model has been successfully used since 1959.

Model B is where an outside for-profit corporation leases Gunstock from the county. The stated purpose of a for-profit corporation is to maximize return on investment to the stockholders with some amount going back to the county. It is unknown how much will be returned to Gunstock for capital investments and repairs. The funding for this model can include over-selling tickets and charging for parking much like Vail Resorts has earned a reputation for doing in its New Hampshire ski areas.

FYI: The Free Stater philosophy as seen by the actions of the Belknap County Delegation will likely use Model B to "get Belknap County out of the ski resort business".

Take a guess which model may benefit the Belknap County stakeholders best?

Rick Zach

Gilford