The Alma Optimist Club has presented its 2012 budget to council and the numbers indicate the extent of the club’s dependence on volunteers and membership to operate the new hall in Wallace Cumming Park.
There is a single line in the budget for income; all coming from hall rentals. In 2011 the rentals produced $35,206 and this year the take is expected to climb to $38,726.
On the expenditure side, costs are also expected to climb modestly. There was $33,620 in expenses last year, and those are expected to climb to $35,935 this year. That means a modest profit of $2,790, compared to $1,585 in 2011.
The largest expenses include $9,841 for utilities, and cleaning services set at $9,073. That last one was expected to climb from $8,274 last year due mainly to increases in the rentals. The hall opened in 2011 and it has proved to be very popular.
Supplies and materials also climbed from $6,700 to $7,038 in this year’s projections.
Finance director Mike Givens explained in his report to council that the hall management committee has the right, according to the township agreement, to set the budget and it is then forwarded to the club and the township.
Councillor Jim Curry was curious if the new hall rentals was much higher than the old hall in Alma, a former church.
A club member in the audience said it is because the new hall has much higher usage.
Mayor Bruce Whale said many of the same groups that used the old hall are using the new one.
Givens said, by way of comparison, the Maryborough community hall and the hall at the PMD Arena usually average rentals around $18,000.
Councillor Mike Downey said he suspected the management committee had nothing to do with the budget.
“It comes from the Optimist Club,” he said.
Council accepted the report for information.
