The Flier and Times reported recently that the Columbia Association approved a 10 percent senior discount on memberships. Here is the rest of the story.
Several members of the board of directors pushed very hard for months for a meaningful senior discount; however, the discount we wanted is very different from the discount recommended by staff and ultimately approved by the board of directors.
In truth, the approved senior discount will provide little, if any, benefit to seniors at all. This is because the board, at the very last minute before approval, directed that the discount will only apply to memberships, and will not apply on top of any other discount.
Here's how this plays out. CA ordinarily offers all residents a 20 percent discount on new memberships. Because the new 10 percent senior discount will not apply on top of any other discount, seniors now have a "choice" of taking the existing 20 percent new member discount or the new 10 percent senior discount.
Similarly, CA's renewal rates are already "discounted" 15-20 percent off of the initial rate. Again, because the new discount will not add to that, seniors have a "choice" of accepting the renewal "discount" or taking the lesser senior discount.
The bottom line is that no rational senior will use the new 10 percent discount when he or she can get the pre-existing greater discounts on memberships, and CA has no business even offering seniors such a useless "choice."
Because of the last-minute amendment, the new discount also will not apply to any fees or other rates that CA charges for classes, tennis courts, merchandise, etc. So what the board did was to enact a discount that no senior will benefit from.
A CA staff member was quoted in your article touting the marketing advantage that the senior discount will give CA. In reality, this is a marketing gimmick that comes close to fraud.
CA now gets to advertise that it offers a senior discount, but seniors will be paying exactly what everyone else pays for memberships and programs.
Frankly, 10 percent wasn't a particularly significant discount for cash-strapped seniors; in the end, seniors didn't even get that.
Gregg M. Schwind
Hickory Ridge
CA Board of Directors