Conneaut Lake Park sunk $650,000 deeper into debt in 2005.

Park general manager George Deshner said all unpaid bills, as of Thursday, that he is aware of total $2.962 million — up from an estimated $2.309 million the park owed at the end of January.

Of that debt, close to $1 million is for two items — a 30-year the PennVEST loan of $476,920 and delinquent real estate taxes in excess of $400,000.

Deshner said Thursday he believed the outstanding debt was $2.7 million last year. However, documents presented in court earlier this year show outstanding debt as of Jan. 31, 2005, at $2.309 million.

At the end of 2002, total debt was $1.616 million.

At first glance, the operating report filed by the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park for the period from Jan. 1 to Sept. 10, 2005, in the county prothonotary’s office didn’t look too bad.

The initial report had a profit of $116,753.03. However, an amended report was filed after the court-appointed overseer, LeRoy Stearns, reviewed it and said additional expense accounts needed to be added.

The additional accounting showed the Trustees’ report did not include unpaid bills for 2005 operations of $193,620.26, which meant instead of a profit, the park had an estimated operating loss of $76,867.23.

However, to further complicate matters, that additional list didn’t include unpaid 2005 real estate taxes of approximately $30,000 and unpaid sewer bills for the first 10 months of the year, at $19,334. Then take into account the park is still owed $9,000 from debtors for picnic rentals and the park’s operating loss amounts to $117,201.

George Deshner, general manager and former board member, said he compiled the addendum and took only the major unpaid bills into account.

However, the bottom line loss figure — for 2005 operations —doesn’t take into account the park paid in excess of $88,000 for bills not incurred in 2005.

The bills were paid out of 2005 revenues, but not listed separately.

For example, the park paid four different vendors in full for debts dating back to 2004 or prior.

Paid were:

- $7,981.04 to Leo’s Pneumatics and Hydraulics for an overdue bill.