San Jose Considers Sale Of Public Golf Course
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) - San Jose residents were invited to a community meeting Wednesday to weigh in on the mayor's proposal to sell the Rancho Del Pueblo golf course.
The city is considering selling the 31-acre golf course and allowing the development of up to 570 housing units on the property.
Mayor Chuck Reed proposed the idea as a way to save the city $2 million annually amid its recurring budget deficits.
The city closed a $115 million deficit in June and is looking at a projected $80 million shortfall this fiscal year.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
The nine-hole Rancho Del Pueblo course opened in 2000 and has had few years of financial stability since. The city has a hefty outstanding debt for the course, toward which it paid $452,699 last year, according to Reed's office. The debt now stands at $5.6 million.
The city ran a $279,965 operating loss for the course last year and has lost more than $165,000 each year for the past three years.
San Jose has two other golf courses—San Jose Municipal and Los Lagos—that are more financially sustainable, according to Reed's office.
The City Council is expected to discuss alternative long-term uses of the property at its Oct. 25 meeting.
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