Lift Community Services has been approved for a $50,000 grant for the Community Resource Centre, to be funded from qathet Regional District’s general grants-in-aid service.
At the July 26 regional board meeting, directors considered the grant funding application, which had originally been sourced from the regional district’s social planning budget, but a motion to fund it from that source was defeated by the finance committee. Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander brought forward a motion to reconsider the Lift financial assistance request, which occurred at the July 26 meeting, this time from the general grants-in-aid.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne asked how much money had been allocated to general grants-in-aid. qRD assistant manager of financial services Jason Kouwenhoven said the regional district started the year with $96,000.
Gisborne said the grant request was cause for concern for him. The first issue was, where did the money come from?
He said general grants-in-aid were to support groups that benefit the entire region. He suggested the $96,000 was not a lot of money for the whole program, and that $50,000 of that $96,000 was before the board to be given to Lift.
“That’s roughly $2.50 from every man, woman and child in this region,” said Gisborne. “I found it very difficult to get support from friends and constituents for $2.50 from everyone in the regional district to give to the Lift Community Resource Centre. One of the big hurdles for me giving money is that we already do, through our income tax, because they get provincial funding.”
Gisborne said the province has continually tried to download these responsibilities onto local governments.
“Lift and the Community Resource Centre should get support that they need to provide the services but I don’t think it should be coming from local government and local taxpayers, because Lift is already receiving significant funding from the provincial government, but not enough money,” said Gisborne.
He said he would be in support of a $25,000 grant to Lift because the regional district cut the Outdoor Recreation Users Group funding, so the board might as well do something equivalent for Lift.
“I don’t see how I can get support from the taxpayers in the community for this one,” said Gisborne.
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said when the discussion first started about the Lift application, she was not in support of giving them anything because of the crime and disorder that facility has generated in the neighbourhood.
“However, listening to everything said at committee of the whole, I am willing to say, ‘okay, you do good work,’” added McCormick. “This helps the neediest of the needy, including people on Texada Island.
“I’m willing to give them one more shot. If they don’t clean up their act this year, I can’t support them again. However, if they didn’t do this work, the level of crime and disorder would probably be significantly higher than what we are currently experiencing.”
McCormick said she supported the funds coming out of general grants-in-aid because the Community Resource Centre is in City of Powell River, which contributes to general grants-in-aid.
The motion to fund Lift Community Services $50,000 from general grants-in-aid carried, with Gisborne opposed.
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