By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

Lethbridge City Finance Committee hears requests for additional funding

Sep 11, 2018 | 1:22 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The requests for funding are now coming in, ahead of this November’s $380 million 2019-2022 City Operating Budget deliberations.

The Operating Budget includes money for things like Lethbridge Police Service, EMS, parks operations, snow removal, library funding, ice arenas, pools, and transit. It’s divided into a General Fund with $230 million – supported by property taxes, user fees, grants and other general revenues – and a Utility Fund, with $150 million – which comes from utility fees.

The Operating Budget can also include money for some local fee-for service and non-profit groups. Seven of them made their cases for funding to the Finance Committee at a meeting Monday (Sept. 10) afternoon.

All budget requests were accepted as information and referred to deliberations in mid-November.

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The first members to present and ask for additional funding were Allied Arts council President Amanda Berg and Executive Director Suzanne Lint.

They presented four “pressure points,” including space constraints at their 7 Ave. S. office, a need for more staff, staff compensation, and administrative costs. Berg told the Finance Committee that according to their research, wages were about 30 per cent lower than market comparables.

Their ask included a 17-per cent wage increase for staff at the 7 St. S. office and Casa staff in 2019, plus an additional 2-per cent per year for all staff until 2022. In addition, a request was made to hire 2.28 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff members.

Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG)

Kristy Trinier, SAAG Executive Director, and Urvil Thakor and Laura Kenwood, both Board of Directors members, described SAAG as having an internationally recognized reputation for showing creative and provocative modern works of art and interactive displays meant for all ages.

However, even though City Council approved $2.78 million for renovations to the SAAG from the City’s Capital Improvement Project Budget in 2017 for renovations, a case was made for additional funds for more staff and an increase in the number of programs offered.

In 2018, SAAG received $183,300 from the City. In 2019, an ask was made for an additional $176,000 per year to the fee for service agreement until 2022. $76,000 would be used for more weekend staffing, and $100,000 used for contemporary art programs.

Lethbridge & District Japanese Garden Society

More than 40,000 people went to Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden in 2017, triple the number of 2014. 

Now, the society, which operates the garden, is also looking for a new fee for service agreement.

Director Colin Hirano and Executive Director Michelle Day explained that while the increase in attendance results in more user fees, the increases have been largely offset by increased staffing and programming costs. A further increase in operating costs is anticipated with the Garden’s shift into a full-time facility upon completion of the Interpretive Centre.

In 2017, the society received $133,700 from the city. Hiro and Day asked for a $171,192 increase for 2019 and $304,890 in 2020. Then, for 2021 and 2022, they asked for an additional $555,190 — an increase of $421,490 from 2017 levels.

Hiro and Day said the increases in 2021 and 2022 are reflective of the completion of the interpretive centre, at which point the garden will transition into a full-time facility.

Nord-Bridge Senior Citizens Association

Former Lethbridge Mayor – and now President of the Nord-Bridge Senior’s Association – Bob Tarleck, along with the organization’s Executive Director, David Ng, asked the Finance Committee to consider a $100,000 request to help fund the operating cost of the senior’s centre, with a 5 per cent increase each year until 2022.

In 2018, the City of Lethbridge Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) currently gave the centre $209,500 while other municipal funding totalled $75,000 according to the revised budget. The centre also received income through gaming proceeds, building rentals, membership and user fees, provincial and federal grants, and various fundraisers.

Total revenues for the association came in at $1,060,044, however expenses came in at $1,094,612, which resulted in a $34,568 deficit.

Lethbridge Destination Management Organization

The relatively new LDMO was formed in early 2018, to focus tourism initiatives in Lethbridge and to provide direction and proactive leadership that promotes, and fosters growth related to the visitor experience in Lethbridge.

Executive Director William Slenders told the Finance Committee the organization is still in “start-up mode,” with service levels transferred from Chinook Country Tourism Association, Economic Development Lethbridge and Lethbridge Sport Council.

As such, Slenders made a request for one-time funding of $30,000 in 2019, and $10,000 in 2020 to help with the start-up costs and to maintain levels of service. He says the LDMO cannot absorb any new costs or apply for grants due to organizational age restrictions.

Lethbridge Sports Council

Lethbridge Sport Council is requesting funding for one additional staff member with complimentary program and marketing dollars totalling $90,000.

During their presentation, Susan Eymann, Executive Director, and Gordon Hunter, Vice Chair of the Sports Council, told the Finance Committee that as community demands increase, hiring a dedicated Marketing and Communications Coordinator will allow the group to respond to the feedback in their Needs Analysis Survey. It will also allow for the Program Coordinator to manage and enhance current programs, including leading an Indigenous Sports Advisory Committee.

Southern Alberta Ethnic Association

Finally, the SAEA’s Board President Dr. Surya Acharya and Executive Director Richard Odei-Wontumi are hoping the city’s contribution to their association will jump from $28,100 in 2018 to $164,260 to make up for a $136,160 deficit.

According to budget statements, the SAEA took in $201,020 from events, facility rentals, membership and other sources, however, the association spent more than $337,000, leaving them with a huge deficit.

Acharya and Odei-Wontumi explained that there are fewer volunteers able to take on duties at the cultural centre and that their membership has grown from five to 39 members. Most of the association’s income according to their statements has been spent on salaries for office staff ($121,128 FTE and $51,396 part-time) and cultural events ($90,360).

Councillor Rob Miyashiro told Acharya and Odei-Wontumi they were creating “a black hole” for themselves, they were in a precarious situation and that council should not perpetuate that. Instead, he wondered whether there was a more tenable operational model the city could help the association maintain. The matter was referred, along with all others, to budget deliberations in November.