Accounting numbers for the Elmwood Marina recently made available show that, contrary to claims made in the Leelanau Enterprise, income at the marina is not down. In fact, when an accurate comparison is made to 2004, income is up. The increases suggest that the reforms and management changes made under Superivsor Deri Smith have helped at the troubled facility.

Combining all sources of income for January 1 2005 through Dec 31 and adjusting for the loss of buoys and slips mandated by federal and state agencies, the balance sheet shows an increase of income of over $17,000.

The 2005 dock slip payments were set by the previous management and reflect their practices and standards. Under the new management, consistent enforcement of the Township-approved fee schedule should increase the 2006 seasonal slip income by $18,000. A new Township-approved credit card policy should add another $6,000 to income. Taken together with the storage and other increases, income at the Marina under the new management should be up over $40,000 over a comparable period under the old management.

Evidence suggests that most of the shortfall in the revenues in 2004 resulted from a practice of granting discounts as favors at the Marina. In a similar way, the waiting list of boaters seeking moorings or slips at the Marina was often ignored, with some individuals promoted over others with more seniority, although all had paid the same $100 application fee.