SPC recommends LDE finance reporting quarterly
By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on March 14, 2025.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com
Monthly reporting on the Lethbridge and District Exhibition finances will be changed to quarterly if city council accepts a recommendation from its Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee.
The SPC voted on Thursday to recommend council have City administration provide quarterly reports starting with its June 12 meeting.
The SPC consists of the mayor and all members of council.
During the meeting in council chambers, the SPC heard from the LDE’s Director of Community Engagement Paul Kingsmith that 129 events have been confirmed for this year – including 25 in the past several weeks – and two new events have been booked for 2026. In response to a question from councillor John Middleton-Hope, Kingsmith said the venue is booking events into 2028.
Kingsmith noted the LDE is “well ahead” of last year’s pace with 55Â per cent of its projections already reached three months into its current fiscal year.
In response to a question from Mayor Blaine Hyggen as to whether the LDE is losing less money, the City’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Darrell Mathews agreed.
During debate on the motion, councillor Rajko Dodic said he supported the change in reporting but noted he felt the LDE would likely never be self-sustaining, pointing out previous cost recovery estimates that have been brought before council.
Councillor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel voiced opposition to the change in reporting schedule, saying that “lack of oversight” put the City in its current position.
Hyggen supported the reporting change saying he was happy to see the LDE losing less money while suggesting the Exhibition won’t be self-sustaining “as much as we wish it would.”
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We are going to need to tighten our belts in all areas as we face the added burden of tariff wars! We also cannot afford to lose this building after all of the money put into it! What is needed is Lethbridge becoming the regional hub for events in this new building and it can be done!
Also, we need to end the carnage on our streets by enforcing the laws currently available to Regulatory Services and LPS.
$10 million to $15 million annually just of our city tax dollars (not federal or provincial) is spent in multiple areas from the impacts of these addiction driven criminal behaviours: LPS/Fire/EMS/the Watch/security, Clean Sweep, encampment strategy, contractors, property damage to city properties, programs to support business to secure property, and many more.
Freeze all expenditures on all projects in Galt Gardens, the SAAG and other downtown beautification or enhancing projects until we have our downtown back from the criminal elements. Pouring millions into Galt Gardens just to see the buildings damaged/trees burned/tables and benches burned from the addicts constantly is only burning up tax dollars! We have had many of our landscaping and other features that enhanced downtown removed, because of it getting damaged or for security reasons!
Money can be saved by cleaning up our city by enforcing current laws and sending the message that we will no longer allow this on our streets!
What happens on our streets is what we allow to happen on our streets and there is only so much money to go around, so what do you want?
A oomplex that will attract tourism to our city, or a money pit of addicts/criminals allowed to run wild on our streets! There is a choice and it can be done, but there needs to be a will to do it!