– News from elsewhere covered by Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.

Charles River private yacht club on public land
A Stuart Cahill image via the Boston Herald

Gold buried in state budget for private yacht clubs operating on state land.

“Yacht clubs on public land along the Charles and Mystic rivers and Boston Harbor could see their state rent payments slashed by nearly 40 percent thanks to a few lines buried in the state budget that would, in all, save the boat clubs $115,000 a year.”

This still pending approval budget section would the rent payments for 21 of the 31 yacht and boat clubs on public land managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation to no more than 2 percent more each year than what they paid as of January 1, 2015 – erasing nearly all of a 60 percent increase in rent the clubs have seen since that date.

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A Dorchester yacht club
Image via Flickr

The cap on the rent payments could run aground in the courts according to former State Inspector General Greg Sullivan per an article in the state constitution which requires that the state receive fair market value for its assets.

“There’s been a history in Massachusetts of the state government giving away things — to organizations and even to people — for less than fair market value, and that’s a problem because state property belongs to the taxpayers,” said Sullivan, now a policy director at The Pioneer Institute.

DCR forgives $23,000 of club’s unpaid rent

“The land that the(se private) boat clubs and the(ir) launching ramps are on,” Sullivan added, “… belongs to the taxpayers.”

Governor Charlie Baker has yet to say whether or not he supports the proposed rent cap.

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Ramming Speed!!!
A Caddyshack/Orion Pictures image

A few years ago, however, a Quincy yacht club was forgiven tens of thousands of dollars in back rent owed to the Department of Conservation and Recreation – and so by extension stiffing state taxpayers with this unpaid bill.

Similarly, a recent review by the State Auditor found that not only does the Department of Conservation and Recreation do a lousy job of managing its leasing operations in general, it was found to be owed $55,848.00 in back rent by yacht clubs as well as an additional $547,116.00 by its other tenants.

In turn, these rental shortfalls total up to over ten percent of the total property rental income that the DCR should be receiving annually.

Source: Gold buried in budget for yacht clubs

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