In 2013 I filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to find out how much the county makes from the Jim Thorpe parking lot and the 81 parking meters they own in the borough.

However this information does not tell the whole story. They have a private company on their property, a bank that must be paying them rent on tax free Jim Thorpe land. They received $300,000 in rent from Pennsylvania Department of Transportation during bridge construction and Jim Thorpe got zilch.

Only the county knows how much more they are taking in from the tax free property they own in Jim Thorpe because this information is held close to their vests.

The town of Jim Thorpe has lost control of the tourist business. We are being told just keep quiet and provide the services tourists need.

How could Jim Thorpe, a nationally known tourist destination be struggling financially? Well get off your couch and attend a council meeting and you will hear about the crumbling High Street wall and the $400,000 loan being taken out to repair it, the lack of funds to fix the Flagstaff Road and The Germantown Road mud slide project put on hold for lack of funds.

The simple fact is the tourist dollars are not coming into the Jim Thorpe borough treasury. Also, a break down in the line of communications between the county and Jim Thorpe is very evident. Tourists are not coming here to tour the court house.

P.S. I was amazed at the speed the Switchback Trail project was signed, sealed and funded. If only the Flagstaff Road was considered a hiking trail, Act 13, here we come.

Bill Malatak

Jim Thorpe