Greensboro Coliseum Budget: Could it be Reduced?

“Councilwoman Trudy Wade argued that if the coliseum had room in its budget to fund a new project like the outdoor theater, the money might be better off being given back to the city at the end of the fiscal year.

“We as a council need to look at that,” Wade said. “You are already working at a $1.8 million loss. If you didn’t lose the $1.8 million, should it not revert back to the general fund?””

That’s from an article titled “Council questions cost of coliseum operations” from today’s News & Record.

Councilman Perkins later stated in the article that the amphitheater could pay for itself in two years, which is good in theory, but somewhat takes the focus off of what Councilwoman Wade said.

The fact of the matter is that the City of Greensboro gives the coliseum a large chunk of money each year – and it appears that with a little effort the coliseum could operate without receiving said funds.

If you work for a business it is likely that you’ve experienced budget cuts / budget scrutiny over the last year. Isn’t it strange that the coliseum hasn’t?

In a related post, Tony Wilkins has highlighted another way the coliseum could save money,

“It’s been mentioned that security is billed at about $1175 per hour on big nights. $47 per hour for 25 security folks. I’ve confirmed with Sheriff BJ Barnes that county personnel can offer the same security for $25 per hour. That’s a savings of $550 per hour. I was told it could be a political hot button to mention this. It should be a political hot button not to mention it. The city could easily schedule security at regular pay instead of time and a half for a city facility operating at a loss of taxpayer dollars.”

Tony’s idea might not be the “perfect” solution, but that is the type of brainstorming that needs to take place to determine if the coliseum can operate without help from the City.

And while we’re on the subject, this conversation should start sooner rather than later because the new aquatic center will likely increase operating cost – which means more taxpayer money will be shifted to the coliseum.

Note: Yes it is true that the coliseum has a huge impact on our local economy and that is appreciated, but that does not mean it should be omitted from budget discussions such as this.