Community funding requests tabled by Economic SPC
By Lethbridge Herald on September 27, 2022.
Herald photo by Al Beeber
Lethbridge city council, meeting as the Economic Standing Policy Committee, listens a submission from a community group Monday in council chambers. The committee is meeting again today at 9:30 and will hear budget requests from City boards and commissions. On Monday, the SPC heard requests for funding from 18 city groups.Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com
Eighteen local organizations submitted budget requests to the City’s Economic Standing Policy Committee on Monday for the years 2023-26.
The groups included a wide range of organizations from the Allied Arts Council to the YMCA.
The SPC deferred decisions until budget deliberations in November.
Each group was given five minutes to make a presentation to city council which in some cases then asked questions of the presenters.
According to a request available on the City’s website, the AAC is asking for totals of $381,287 in 2023, $417,111 in ’24, $456,036 in ’25 and $488,433 in ’26. This is on top of the base of $470,475 for Allied Art Council – Casa and $208,100 for AAC – Leadership.
Economic SPC was told by the AAC it wants to increase salaries to at least 75 per cent of competitive public sector salaries and it has faced increased pressures at Casa due to the need to hire contract security which has increased its budget by about $72,000.
Economic Development Lethbridge wants $510,194 in ’23, $735,317 in ’24, $573,398 in ’25 and $262,380 in ’26. These requests are on top of EDL’s base of $833,300.
Lethbridge and District Exhibition, on top of a base $86,900, is asking for $169,100 annually from the City through ’26.
The purpose of the request is “to ensure that City of Lethbridge owned facilities are in the highest working order in the event they need to be turned over,” the SPC was told in the Exhibition presentation by Mike Warkentin, who spoke from Edmonton.
The Exhibition says the money will be a “dedicated life-cycling fund (non-operational) that will be put in a long-term instrument to maximize yield, minimizing risk, only to be liquidated in the event of a system failure.”
Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, on top of its base $162,100, is asking the City for $400,664 in ’23, $417,097 in ’24, $434,032 in ’25 and $451,457 in ’26.
Brad Hembroff of the Garden said budget pressures are the same as in 2018 and that the Garden has a high cost due to high turnover. His presentation said year-round experiences and content development are needed with the new building, referring to the Bunka Centre and that higher attendance requires more staff support and administration.
It is asking for a total of $547,764 in ’23, an amount which would increase by three per cent through ’26, Hembroff said.
He said an additional $15,000 is being asked to cover an audit. The Garden Society has invested $1,065,000 in the past five years, money which went to program development/equipment and facility enhancements, he said.
To offer year-round operations, the Garden has 14 full-time staff and one part-timer. For it to continue operating, it needs to keep pace with inflation and an ability to retain staff, Hembroff said.
“This funding request is exactly what we need in order to achieve that,” he said.
The Southern Alberta Art Gallery, on top of its base of $183,800, wants an additional $185,500 from the City next year, $196,579 in ’24, $207,990 in ’25 and $219,744 in ’26.
This funding would increase base funding to $369,300 next year, $380,379 in ’24, $391,790 in ’25 and $403,544 in the final year of the budge cycle. It’s asking for a three per cent annual increase to base funding to keep up with inflation.
Its request includes a new investment of $109,500 added to the base funding to address what SAAG calls “flatlined municipal funding, non-competitive wages and inflation. The funding also supports employing one new programming staff to rebuild capacity.”
SAAG executive director Su Ying Strang said in 2021 the volunteer board put in more than 1,500 volunteer hours to the organization. She said its staff “deliver exceptional programming” and are knowledgable and skilled in their work.
The gallery has faced significant budget pressures in recent years, the Economic SPC was told. Municipal base funding has remained stagnant since 2017 and a provincial funding cut and the pandemic significantly impacted earned revenues.
Inflation is also an issue. Positions have been cut and non-competitive salaries have resulted in staff turnover. The turnover costs money and hampers productivity, the SPC heard.
New investment is required, the SAAG presentation stated. The gallery is taking several steps toward financial sustainability under Strang’s direction including a review of programming, the SPC heard. SAAG “has worked tirelessly to improve the gallery’s financial position and long term suitability but it needs more support from the City, Strang said.
Tourism Lethbridge has a request for $151,000 next year, $118,500 in ’24, $84,500 in ’25 and $63,000 in ’26.
Environment Lethbridge is asking for $70,000 annually through the budget cycle.
Lethbridge Sport Council, on top of its base of $174,280, wants an additional $61,878 next year, $68,963 in ’24, $76,260 in ’25 and $83,777 in ’26.
Susan Eymann, executive director of the sport council, said it is looking for at least two years of funding, specifically a three per cent increase.
Today in its meeting at 9:30 a.m. the Economic SPC will hear funding requests from city boards and commissions.
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So the Japanese garden builds themselves an oversized, over priced facility and now ants a pile of money from the city to operate it, Wow! Thought the idea was for them to be self sufficient by this time. 14 full time staff and they need more? Hoping the budget people see through the bs and tell them to start cutting like all the other departments had to.