December 11, 2016
1096
Kincardine council has deferred a proposal to put $15,000 toward three annual festivals, until budget talks tomorrow night (Dec. 12).
At the council meeting Wednesday night (Dec. 7), deputy mayor Jacqueline Faubert's motion, put forward at the Nov. 16 meeting, stated that the municipality should support a stable, sustainable amount of $5,000 per year for each of the following: the Kincardine Scottish Festival, the Bruce Telecom Lighthouse Blues Festival and the Kincardine Summer Music Festival, with funding from the tourism budget or economic development budget.
The motion stems from these being multi-day music festivals that are a source of tourism dollars for the service and accommodation sectors, as well as retail; and that this stable funding would indicate the importance of these three festivals to the municipality.
Councillor Laura Haight brought forward concerns from the arts, culture and heritage committee. She said that with a total of $50,000 in community grants available, and $25,000 of that for sports and recreation, there's only $25,000 for arts and culture. If $15,000 of that goes to three festivals, that leaves little for the remaining groups and organizations.
In fact, Haight said, the committee would like to see an increase to the amount for community grants, so there is funding available for such groups as the fish hatchery and the Walker House which are also important to Kincardine.
"When we approved $5,000 in support for the Huron Shores Hospice, we were treading on dangerous ground," said Haight. "We should keep to the process and look at all these competing groups at one time - during budget deliberations."
Councillor Maureen Couture suggested deferring the festival funding to budget talks, with the first budget meeting slated for Monday, Dec. 12.
"I know I suggested supporting the hospice," she said, "and I realize it's a dangerous precedent to deal with these outside the budget process."
"Do these three festivals make a profit?" asked councillor Randy Roppel. "If so, why do they need this funding?"
"They are non-profit groups providing for the betterment of the community," said mayor Anne Eadie.
"I don't care if they give the money away," argued Roppel. "Why are we giving taxpayer dollars to groups if they are making a profit?"
Faubert said she believed that taking the $15,000 from the community grants for these festivals, would give other groups a chance at the remaining grant money. "I'm bringing this issue up now because it's a policy decision and it must be made before budget talks."
Haight asked if there is a need for municipal funding for each of the three festivals. "Other groups need funding as well," she said. "On its own, each group and project looks like a great idea, but on the whole, there are concerns."
"Support for the hospice came from our health fund," said Eadie. "That's a different kettle of fish. I would be pleased to see money from the tourism budget funding the Walker House. What we decide tonight means a lot to the volunteers who put these festivals together every year."
"I have no problem with sustainable funding for anybody," said Couture, "but the more we spin off these things from community grants to other budgets, the more difficult it is to keep track of them and manage them. We should defer this to budget talks."
Faubert agreed, provided her motion is brought forward at the budget meeting.
Council agreed to bring this debate back to budget discussions Dec. 12, at 5 p.m., in the council chamber.
Also, according to the treasurer's presentation for that meeting, the recommended tax-rate increase is 9.8 per cent for 2017, in order to maintain existing service levels in the municipality.
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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