The Dagger - Local News with an Edge

You are here: Home / Local / Letters to the Dagger / Mayor McGrady: “The Goal, Since the Day this Council was Elected, is to See Greater Use of Ripken Stadium”

Mayor McGrady: “The Goal, Since the Day this Council was Elected, is to See Greater Use of Ripken Stadium”

By 68 Comments

From Aberdeen Mayor Patrick McGrady and City Councilmembers Steven Goodin, Sandra Landbeck, and Melvin Taylor:

To the Citizens and Businesses of Aberdeen:

Despite rumors you may have heard or read, the Aberdeen City Council did not vote to sell Ripken Stadium to any outside group or organization. On Monday, November 6, the Aberdeen City Council unanimously voted to pursue examining national and/or regional reality firms’ interest in marketing the Stadium.

No sale offers to any specific individuals, organizations or business entities have been made. Only when the Council has had the opportunity to see and review the input of this very small group of real estate professionals will a decision be made regarding the next step. That might include placing the Stadium for sale on the national market, but it could also include further negotiations with the tenant, revamping the existing agreement or the City conducting non-baseball events. From our perspective absolutely everything is on the table.

The goal, since the day this Council was elected, is to see greater use of Ripken Stadium. Each member of the Council genuinely hope the Ironbirds will be a staple in Aberdeen for many years; that the basis outlined in the existing agreement. Our intent remains to be to bring additional complimentary community uses to the Stadium. The majority of the Council felt offering to sell the Stadium to Tufton Professional Baseball, LLC., the organization managing the Ironbirds, was the best way for Tufton to build their future while unshackling it from the City. However, Tufton disagreed and declined the offer, which is certainly their right, and possibly something they felt in their best interest.

However, despite their declination this Council feels compelled to continue searching for new, expanded opportunities to use the Stadium. If not with Tufton, then possibly with another party. The Ironbirds are a short season, 38 games per year team, but Aberdeen has long term needs and debt.

Consider the possibilities of year round community events!

Communities everywhere see revenue generating community activities in art festivals, concerts, Octoberfests, craft fairs and much more. Why not in Aberdeen? Every day hundreds-of-thousands of cars pass Ripken Stadium, each carrying new prospects and possibilities.

In conclusion, the Aberdeen City Council recognize that the times have changed and we’re doing our due diligence. Our intent has been and will continue to be working with Tufton and the Ironbirds to search for mutual opportunities to be more successful. The philosophy remains rock solid; rather than cutting more slices of the same pie let’s grow it. We are actively searching for the right organization to assist Tufton, the Ironbirds and the citizens of Aberdeen towards this goal.

Patrick McGrady
Mayor

Steven Goodin
Sandra Landbeck
Melvin Taylor
Councilmembers

Comments

  1. The current Aberdeen City Council has been a disaster from Day 1. They fight amongst each other and get nothing accomplished. The question on wether or not to sell the stadium should be through a referendum voted on by the citizens of Aberdeen. Aberdeen is a city who has the highest tax rate amongst municipalities in his county and gets a large portion of the hotel tax and still can’t function in a fiscally responsible manner. I can’t wait until the next election ruin so I can vote these fools out.

    11+

    • As a homeowner in Aberdeen (Windemere area) the past 12 years I paid more than $600 per year toward the stadium debt service each year. That would be over $7000 toward the stadium. This burden is totally unacceptable for Aberdeen homeowners and businesses. I support any effort to reduce this burden. The council is taking the responsible action in serving the city residents unlike previous city leaders.

      8+

      • You absolutely do not pay $600 per year toward the stadium. That is complete nonsense and a fabrication. The Mayor has been trotting around with BS cost numbers which only use straight-line accounting to calculate revenue. He is not including any of the revenue that is generated by peripheral business activity due to the stadium. He is operating under the false assumption that Ripken Baseball will not pull out if the City sells to a private equity firm, which will attempt to renegotiate the concession agreement. He is also failing to disclose the costs associated with attempting to sell the stadium or his efforts in the form of inaction to submarine revenue form the stadium. Further, he is failing to disclose the inevitable lawsuit which will ensue from Tufton should the City attempt to sell, as it could constitute material breech of the concession agreement. This suit could cost more than any sale would generate. This whole situation is silly and infantile. Mr. McGrady also has not factored what the loss of the stadium or Ripken Baseball or both will do to home values. He and the Council are literally setting fire to your long-term home value as we speak.

        9+

          • The evidence is in the City revenue documents. I attended the meeting where the City decided to pursue sale. It will cost tens of thousands of dollars to just prepare the marketing package. The revenues which the mayor shared did not include hotel tax revenue and did not include revenue prospectus which estimate the overall economic impact of the stadium on the City. Read the concession agreement and ask yourself if a judge would consider it a breech of the agreement for the city to sell the stadium. Tell me what revenue generating events have been held at the stadium as permitted under the agreement by the City since Mr. McGrady took office. Read Mr. Ripken and Ripken Baseball’s statements in the press. Judge for yourself. I think all of these support my assertion. Correspondingly, the City’s own consultants implied the same when discussing the sale.

            6+

        • What peripheral income would go away if the stadium was owned by somebody else?

          The amusement tax would still be collected. The games would still be held at the Stadium.

          The Ripken-owned youth sports programs would continue.

          The only change is that the City would not have to pay for all the Capital costs of railings, asphalt, and everything else.

          6+

          • Ripken could move all operations. They already have other sites. Many other municipalities would like to have what we currently have. If Ripken goes, all revenue related to Ripken Baseball goes. Why would they stay after the City poisons the relationship?

            A more important question is why would a private equity firm purchase the stadium? The answer is to make money. What impact would that have on the City? Why can’t the City offset costs for the stadium with event revenue?

            6+

          • SO mr. hmmmm: did the city pay for all the railings and asphalt and everything else? or is that just would like everyone to think? Please enlighten us. But I doubt you will. Transparency has not been the earmark of the “drive out the ripkens” brigade, since day one.

            2+

        • Ryan,
          You are one of the smartest men on earth. Not only are you a preeminent superintendent of schools you are also a world renowned economist and entrepreneur.

          You are sounding more and more like you intend to run for political office.

          1+

          • Let’s be clear about something. I am no one’s puppet. I am also not interested in being Mayor of Aberdeen. Why the hell would I want to be a glorified gopher holder? Let me say it again so we are very clear. I am no puppet. I also am not running for anything. I currently serve as HCEA President. I have 2.5 years left. I intend to spend that time fighting for substantive change in our schools which benefits of our children, teachers and community. My comments on this thread reflect my concerns and opinions solely as a citizen and resident of Aberdeen.

            6+

          • The Mayor is a “glorified gopher holder”?….But Honest Abe say he is a “misguided Napoleon”! I’m confused!

            2+

          • You’ll be able to count on the USUAL puppets, Helton, Johnson, Bennett. I don’t think they’ve madw room for the new guy

            3+

  2. Selling the stadium is a boondoggle which essentially robs every resident of Aberdeen, Harford County and the State of Maryland of a valuable resource in which they invested. It is stunning that rather than investigate and schedule events which are already guaranteed under the original concession agreement, https://www.aberdeenmd.gov/sites/aberdeenmd/files/uploads/corrected_concession_agreement_.pg_15.pdf, our city council has chosen to further inflame an already contentious situation with the stadium’s sole Tennant, Ripken Baseball (Tufton).

    “The City shall be entitled to hold two City Events during each of the months April through September on a Friday or Saturday.” As an Aberdeen Citizen for over a decade, I am unaware of any City Events held at the stadium since this mayor and city council took office.

    These “City Events”do not include community events. As an Aberdeen Citizen for over a decade, I am unaware of any community events held at the stadium since this mayor and city council took office.

    The City also has unlimited use of the stadium during the months of October through March. So long as it does not conflict with “Frachisor Events”. I am unaware of any “City Events” held during October through March since the current city council and mayor took office.

    Rather than filling the press with acrimony and nonsense, perhaps the Aberdeen City Council should sit down, get to work and schedule some events which generate income from the stadium. Perhaps, they should reach out to local promoters, which there are many, to discuss use of the site. Perhaps, they should utilize the parking lot during the offseason for a variety of income generating purposes. Perhaps, they should distribute the hundreds upon hundred of free tickets they get to school kids or residents or potential business interests to help promote baseball and the stadium. By my count, the City gets nearly 4,000 tickets each year. You can view the schedule and get a count for yourself here. http://www.milb.com/documents/4/4/8/260801448/2018_Half_Season.pdf

    The dereliction of duty and incompetence of the City, Mayor and City Council are not a reason to sell the stadium, robbing every citizen of Aberdeen, Harford County and Maryland of their investment. Further souring their relationship with Ripken Baseball will not help generate revenue. Angering funding authorities who authorized funding for the stadium and hotel taxes to assist with maintenance will not generate revenue. For far less than the cost of preparing a marketing package to sell the stadium, the City could hire an events manager to schedule, coordinate and seek partnerships with promoters to hold a variety of events at the stadium.

    As an Aberdeen resident for over a decade, I am stunned and disappointed at the lack of progress, cooperation and leadership exhibited by our elected leaders. I would like to just go a month without some kind of nonsense hitting the press. Whether it is fining the homeless, changing the charter or just squabbling like children, our leaders seem incapable of performing to duties of the offices to which they were elected. To Mayor McGrady and the Aberdeen City Council, I say grow up and do your jobs.

    6+

  3. County Councilmen; County Executive; State Delegates; State Senators: do you not realize what’s going on? or do you just not care? What did a great american say about “when good men stay silent”. Patrick and Randy already have paralyzed the rest of the city council with fear. Will you allow them to silence you? is there anyone with strength and clarity among you? or are you all afraid of this misguided Napoleon?

    8+

  4. Debt? There’s a nice big empty office building that should have never been built there too.

    Aberdeen peeps sweating bullets when no one buys housing and no one leases all that commercial space. LOL

    I’d love to know the real reason the route 22 “projects” are months behind. That road upgrade is two separate jobs with two different contractors are they are both behind?

    4+

  5. Aberdeen Residents, Why do you put up with this…?!! I can’t believe that Aberdeen residents have to pay a ridiculous tax on a stadium that profits private entities. I had considered moving there, saw how high the taxes were and looked into why. After realizing that the taxes are about 2/3’s higher than the average of the rest of the county, and that the money basically fills the pockets of people who do nothing to benefit the residents, I decided not to move there. That and your water bill is about 5x higher than anyone I know in other counties. For way fewer taxes I can have much less noise, traffic, crime and drugs than in Aberdeen. So, a no brainer there.
    I don’t understand why residents aren’t up in arms about this thievery. Seriously, I’d be picketing, protesting and making lots noise about it. It’s legalized theft. I don’t know how you put up with it.

    3+

    • Aberdeen residents do not pay a tax on the stadium. Our water bills are not higher than elsewhere in Harford County. Likewise our tax rate may be slightly higher but the services which are provided for that tax rate, including trash pick-up which can cost as little as a dollar a month, if you are responsible about recycling, are more than a fair trade off Further, the reason the rate is higher is that the property values are lower. You comments about noise, traffic, crime and drugs are completely baseless. I live in the “bad” part of town. It is quiet and peaceful. Crime and drugs are no more prevalent than anywhere else in Harford County. Perhaps, you should actually come here an see rather than read some BS nonsense. There City made an investment in the stadium. It has failed to do its part in scheduling revenue and community benefiting events. However, the idea that somehow our taxes are being funneled to the stadium is nonsense.

      2+

      • In Aberdeen’s 2016 Annual Financial Report a transfer of $525,206 went from general funds to the stadium account. This is money that could have been used for general funds and possibly could have reduced the property tax rate. From my perspective, this is a tax Aberdeen citizens are paying on the stadium

        3+

        • The General Fund is also composed of revenue which is generated by the activity of the stadium. If you do not consider the impact of the stadium on property values, income tax revenue,etc, you fail to recognize the potential loss of revenue should the stadium operations cease or should they decline. Aberdeen transfers money from the General fund for a variety of things, not just the stadium. If you read the budget, it states that the Stadium Fund is composed of Admission and Amusement Tax and Hotel Tax. The Hotel Tex in particular was justified by capital needs at the stadium and to fund economic development. Aberdeen also has received multiple fund transfers from the State of MD to fund maintenance and improvements at the stadium. Selling the stadium threatens all of these. Further, attempting to sell the stadium right before the general session threatens any additional funds which could be proposed. See why it is not a tax on Aberdeen Citizens.

          3+

          • Really? If you sell something then you are no longer able to get taxpayer money from the state to maintain it? Wow, you must be one of those educated people! I would’ve thought that we wouldn’t need the money anymore if we didn’t own the stadium.

            And nice use of the intentionally vague phrase ‘fund transfers’ to mean ‘money from taxpayers’. Cut the crap and admit that it’s taxes.

            Your last line is accurate – it’s not a tax only on Aberdeen citizens, if it’s paid for by ‘fund transfers’ it’s a tax on all Maryland citizens.

            1+

          • How about all the “tax payer” money which has already been sunk into it. Selling the stadium means taking loss. It is simple as that. There are no private equity firms that are going to buy the stadium for the ROI that it currently is able to yield. They will demand tax incentives, i.e. you are subsidizing them through rebates or try to litigate a renegotiation of the concession agreement, i.e. you are paying in the form of lost real estate value and lost business revenue.

            The Aberdeen Stadium brings in substantial revenue from hotel taxes and peripheral revenue. Introducing uncertainty means putting all of that at risk.

            3+

          • They should’ve had a package deal to sell the stadium and the Moose Lodge.

            0

        • Citizen; Arguing with Burbey is like wrestling with a pig. He is a committed socio-Marxist who will never let a fact get in the way of his thinking. He knows everything about everything and worships at the altar of public funding. Ignore his comments, I beg you. Otherwise you will go nuts.

          5+

      • Really. Lived there and bought a house there. I got out while the Supposed city of Aberdeen became a crime ridden town (not city). The police department is a joke along with the town council.

        2+

  6. Part of the problem here is that the entire county fell hook, line and sinker for the BRAC golden goose. The big lie was that thousands of jobs (govt & contractor) would move from NJ, and, so would thousands of people. Some people did indeed move, but those who did were not interested in living in Aberdeen. Others still commute daily from NJ, neither buying homes nor spending money in the local economy. Do an honest assessment and drive down Rt 40, and tell me what you see: junk yards, pawn shops, x-rated book stores, falling down buildings and virtually no retail. Why would anyone want to live there? People who moved want to live in communities similar to what they had in NJ: Bel Air, Fallston, Forest Hill, etc., with excellent schools and access to more than the Rt 40 blight. Also take a look at the townhome/home community on the Philadelphia Road golf course site. 6+ years after the final BRAC moves, and they still can’t sell all the available lots.

    So all these grand plans for stadiums, commercial buildings, housing and road upgrades went down the tubes. This isn’t solely Aberdeen’s fault because they took the bait also. State and Federal politicians told a great story that never materialized, and now are nowhere to be found to help clean up the mess.

    4+

        • What? 99.9% of citizens knew exactly what you wasted typing out BEFORE BRAC was ever announced.

          It was utter astonishment that developers et al went into debt for no one to buy/lease.

          Did you really think road and infrastructure construction was going to be improved with a snap of their fingers? Dude, it takes them months just to build a little fucking round about. You think massive road projects would be done in 10 years? 20 years? LOL

          I know you want to drive 70 MPH down single lane roads, but Southern Harford County with a traffic light every 1/4 mile, 260,000 plus residents. More lanes = more cars during “peak times”

          The biggest opportunity was not to extend Route 715 to I95 around the year 2000. Route 22/Aberdeen overpass was instead improved, I reckon too many interchanges and Maryland House proximity was some of the reasoning.

          2+

    • To add: I’m not sure what the attraction factor is for all these mass developed, stick built cookie cutter homes that all look alike with their HOAs.

      Who the hell would want to live in an HOA for starters?

      Cheapest labor and material cost.

      2,500 square foot house on 1/16th acre lot. Is that the new thing? Basically for town home people? Some of these houses would look on acres of land but I guess most people don’t even go outside anymore so taking the weed eater to cut the grass in 5 minutes works is the new thing.

      2+

      • You know that is the beautiful thing about Aberdeen. There are some absolutely gorgeous older homes that just need some TLC and renovations. If our council and mayor were doing their jobs, that is what you would be reading about, not this nonsense with which they continue to occupy themselves.

        3+

  7. It’s not me that wants to drive 70 MPH down single lane roads. It’s these yahoos in their jacked up pickup trucks that we have to worry about in that regard.

    1+

    • Must be those dirty, ne’er do good contractors. Not like they are sitting at their government computer responding to Dagger posts instead of conducting official business, right?

      1+

  8. We should start adding up the money that has been wasted on consultants, and lawyers as well. Pretty sure that would have covered some of the maintenance they are complaining about. This is lunacy, and no one will stand up and call it what it is. This should also dissuade any large operation from moving into Aberdeen. First the treatment of Frito Lay, now Ripken… who is next? Aberdeen Administration will always vote against success.

    3+

  9. We call on Randy and Patrick to retract that shameful claim (which they put on the head of the finance director, whom they can throw under the bus once everyone figures out how innaccurate the number is) that says homeowners paid $200 or $400 or whatever towards Ripken stadium. I don’t know which would make me respect Patrick and Randy less: a) they don’t understand why that number is preposterous spin, ,or b) they KNOW how ridiculous the number is, but they continue to use it to anger folks who don’t know the real numbers. Disgusting either way.
    Good folks of Aberdeen and Harford County: please do your homework and do not let these turds (along with a few self-serving private business folk) steal and destroy this source of pride and economic engine. Call your delegate and senator; call your county councilman; call the county executive; write letters to the aberdeen city council (maybe your encouragement will help them stand up to the little dictator for once).

    1+

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Archives

Sign up for The Daily Dagger Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to The Daily Dagger and receive new articles by email.

%d bloggers like this: