Lady Lake tables decision on driving‑range lease, asks Legion and Lions for revenue and impact details

The Town of Lady Lake Commission on April 20 voted to table further action on the long‑running driving range lease and asked the American Legion and the Lions Club to provide financial and operational detail before the town considers a new long‑term agreement.

Mike Burski, a town staff member who briefed the commission, said the driving range's 10‑year lease agreement is scheduled to expire in September 2027 and that the facility has been operated by the American Legion and the Lions Club for about 25 years. Burski said the groups had discussed capital improvements such as upgraded electrical service and lighting and that they sought assurance on the town's intentions before investing in those upgrades.

"The driving range's 10 year lease agreement is gonna be up for renewal in September 2027," Mike Burski said. He asked the commission for direction and for the organizations to provide revenue details and a short impact statement.

John Gorsuch, second vice commander of the American Legion, told the commission the groups were considering adding electrical capacity and possibly lights and ball machines to make the facility more efficient and to support a proposed golf academy. "We want to expand the electric so we can put lights out there possibly," Gorsuch said.

Barbara Crewell, who identified herself as a driving‑range board member living in Lady Lake, described the driving range as a volunteer‑run partnership that returns funds to local causes and estimated—without financial documentation—that each organization might generate roughly $90,000 a year from driving‑range activities. She warned that if the town were to assume operation it would need to hire and pay staff rather than rely on volunteers.

Commissioners pressed for concrete revenue and donation figures (the commission asked for a recent two‑year history) and for an impact statement detailing what would happen to community donations if the town did not renew the lease. One commissioner also asked for an estimate of how losing the organizations’ involvement would affect services and donations.

A commissioner moved to table the matter until both organizations provide the requested information; the motion was seconded and passed on voice vote. No formal vote on a lease length or terms occurred at the meeting.

The commission indicated it expects written revenue and donation figures and an impact statement from the American Legion and the Lions Club before reconsidering lease terms in a future meeting.