Cedar Hills Mayor Mike McGee ended a two-hour town hall meeting about the city's golf course Wednesday night by saying "We don't think any one of you sitting in the audience today are our enemy."

Residents were presented with four options for the future of the city's golf course at the meeting. A second town hall meeting will be held today at 7 p.m. at Cedar Ridge Elementary School, 4501 W. Cedar Hills Drive.

Residents on Wednesday were told of options to sell building lots for homes on the course. One option, which would free the city of golf course debt, would depend on approval from the golf course homeowners association. An option forgoing the HOA would only rid the city of two-thirds of the debt. Another option would include finding a buyer for the course while selling some building lots, and the fourth option is to sell no lots while taxpayers consider subsidizing the course.

"All we are trying to do is work the best possible solution out of a bad situation," McGee said. "We have not tried to deceive anyone or hide anything. That is why we are here tonight and tomorrow night, so you can understand how we are going to try and address it."

The "it" of which the mayor spoke was a property tax bill for each homeowner in the city that doubled, thanks in large part to a voter-approved bond to bail out the golf course and buy time for the city to find a way to rid itself of a $6 million golf course debt. Even without including the debt, the course is only "nearly" breaking even, McGee said.

Residents spoke on all sides of the issue, applauding fiercely for options as disparate as selling the course and doing nothing.

Other residents said the city must not continue to burden residents by subsidizing the course with property taxes. Still others said the city should immediately build a clubhouse and restaurant at the course to improve business, while others said the city must sell the course. Others yet said the HOA, in potentially refusing certain conditions, must not be allowed to force the hand of remaining residents. Others said the city must sell the land, close the course and open remaining space as a park for all residents to enjoy.

So far, finding a buyer for the golf course who did not want to develop some or all of the land has proved impossible, McGee said over and over.

Several residents pointed out legal language in the original development agreement for the golf course area that closed the land to further development, demanding that the city live up to that agreement. McGee said the language was binding only on the developer, not on the city, which owns all the land that would be developed under any of the options presented Wednesday night.

"The golf course doesn't need any more bad publicity," said Councilwoman Charelle Bowman. "The city doesn't need any more bad publicity. We are a great city and we shouldn't be getting bad press."

"This is not a problem that hasn't been faced and solved by other cities," said Councilman Eric Richardson. "We'll get through this with a positive attitude."

Caleb Warnock can be reached at 443-3263 or cwarnock@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B12.