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Money Is Least Of The Issues Between Chautauqua Lake Pops, Mayville

Reopening the contract between Chautauqua Lake Pops concert series organizers and the village of Mayville makes sense.

At issue is the cancellation of concerts in 2020 and whether or not the Chautauqua Lake Pops should pay the village of Mayville $4,000 for rent due in the 2021 season as was called for in a now-expired three-year contract between the concert series and the village.

The Village Board is split on a resolution, with some members wanting to extend the contract a year to make up for the 2020 cancellations. Others want concert series organizers to live up to its end of the contract and pay the past-due rent.

In our view, as well, the village and the Chautauqua Lake Pops can arrive at a settlement that works for everyone if cooler heads arrive at the bargaining table.

Whether one likes the series or not, it’s indisputable that people flock to the shores of Chautauqua Lake to attend the series. There are thousands of people for whom the concert series is a yearly tradition that brings money and foot traffic to its host municipalities.

That doesn’t mean Mayville officials should forget both the obliglations the Chautauqua Lake Pops owes to the villages nor the complaints of village residents over access to Lakeside Park in Mayville.

After all, the land doesn’t belong to the Chautauqua Lake Pops. It’s park land owned by the village and its taxpayers. Village residents pay taxes every year to help maintain the park that the Chautauqua Lake Pops is renting — bike and walking trails should be kept open.

Reopen the agreement and address village residents’ concerns. And, as the village’s attorney noted, the money will sort itself out.

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