City may get more involved at golf course

RANDOLPH – The Randolph City Council is deciding how best to drive the future of its golf course forward. 

Council members held a special meeting April 13 at the Randolph Community Golf Course with members of the city’s golf board. 

The meeting was set up for the Council and the golf board to discuss the costs – such as employee wages and health insurance – the city has been covering for the nine-hole golf course. 

Randolph City Administrator Ben Benton reviewed the findings from the city’s 2020-21 fiscal year audit of financial statements that had been prepared by Grand Island-based AMGL CPAs & Advisors. 

The report indicated a deficiency in internal controls exists, and the city will need to properly review and approve all claims and oversee financial reporting of its quasi-independent boards, including the golf board. 

Despite the audit not discovering any misuse of funds, Benton said this minimal oversight has created an opportunity for individuals to commit fraud or misuse public funds. 

Moving forward, all golf course accounts will be reconciled, and claims will be approved monthly by the council. 

Another finding of the audit Benton noted was the city needs to reduce costs in all departments, including the golf course. 

Additional oversight from the council will include reviewing options to reduce costs at the golf course. 

A secondary option proposed to reduce costs for the city was for the golf board to consider creating a separate nonprofit organization and operate independent of the city with its own employer identification number. 

Bill Schmit, the golf board’s president, said the golf course operating independent of any city funding would be detrimental to it. 

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