STAFF REPORT
No less than 40 people turned out for Tuesday City Council meeting to oppose selling or leasing Crestlawn Cemetery, a proposal City Manager Jim O’Connor is considering as he looks for ways to close the $1 million budget gap expected to result from the sale of the city’s electric system.
Retired Army Captain Tony Young, who has researched the stories of Indian River County veterans honored at Memorial Island, told the Council, “It is not a matter of dollars and cents. It is a matter of trust.”
Young expressed concern about the level of care for the cemetery grounds that could be expected under private ownership, as well as the limited recourse families would have if a private operator were to go bankrupt.
The 27-acre Crestlawn Cemetery, located on Old Dixie Highway between 12th and 16th Streets, has been owned and operated by the city since the early 1930s.
In addition to selling or leasing the city-owned cemetery, O’Connor is considering options for selling, leasing, or simply deeding away small parcels of land the city ownes and now must maintain. As a way of cutting costs, O’Connor is also looking for opportunities to contract out parks and right-of-way maintenance, vehicle maintenance and other work now performed by city employees.
Judging from the opposition expressed Tuesday to selling or leasing the municipal cemetery, this is on bitter pill the Council may have a difficult time convincing the public to swallow.
Indian River Guardian 
My whole family is there since the 1920’s and it would be a shame to see our ancestor’s history taken over by a commercial enterprise. I can’t imagine there will be enough money to make it a viable business for long with the limited space available so wonder what would happen if they decided to sell or go out of business. The names in that cemetery are of some of our most known residents.