To many people, $50,000 is a lot of money.
To Centre Wellington council, which has a multi-million dollar budget, $50,000 is still a lot of money – even when council is planning to give it away.
That is why a community grant process took several months to consider before council offered approval to the plan on Monday. And even then, Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj said grants will still come under the scrutiny of council when it sets its budget – and it will be subject to cuts.
Parks and Recreation Director Andy Goldie and deputy-treasurer Mark Bradey presented the report to council. Their recommendation was to spend the $50,000 in the following ways:
– $20,000, for performing and visual arts;
– $5,000, for special events;
– $5,000 for social and environmental organizations; and
– $20,000 for specific annual grants.
In the latter category, the council added two groups that will no longer have to apply. They added the Wellington County Farm and Safety Association and the Ponsonby Recreation Club to that exempt list. (The entire list is at the end of this article.) Even exempt groups must send the township a letter by Aug. 31 and explain the need and the general intent of the use of the money.
Councillors Fred Morris, chairman of the administration and finance committee, and Bob Foster worked with the policy committee with Goldie and Bradey, which also consulted with the township’s cultural advisory committee to re-write the policy that was created four years ago.
The committee also consulted with a number of other municipalities on how they handle such grants.
Foster said one thing the report did not make clear was the committee’s first question to itself was should the township be giving away tax dollars to local non-profit groups.
He said that the committee decided the money should be provided. Without it, there would be no wreaths at the cenotaphs, no Santa Claus parade funding, and a number of other events and activities, such as high school commencement sponsorships, that the community has come to depend on.
Goldie said once that was decided, the committee tried to make sure it gets better and more explicit applications, so the township can better review them. He noted that other municipalities go through the review exercise with their policies every year, because each year, they seem to receive a request that falls outside their guidelines.
He added the committee also reviewed each year of grants for the past five years. Goldie said that the meetings with the cultural advisory committee led to some “lively debates.”
Councillor Walt Visser noted that in the past, the township has received requests from similar groups from different parts of the township, or received requests under different names.
Bradey said that, too, was taken into account in preparing the report.
Councillor Kirk McElwain cited one part of the policy that he called a “Catch 22.” It states an organization must be operating for a full year before it can apply for a township grant, while, at the same time, provincial and federal grants require that grant seekers first obtain a municipal grant in order to be eligible for those governments’ grants.
Goldie said many municipalities use that criteria to force groups to prove there is some “buy in” from the citizens in the community for a project a group is doing. He said those municipalities “wanted groups that made an effort” to establish they are worthy of consideration.
Morris pointed out that if a group is rejected or does not quality, it still has the option of coming to council and making a direct request.
Visser said that county council also struggled recently with its grant policy.
Goldie pointed out that Centre Wellington is a small municipality, and groups should realize that if there is a total allocation of $5,000 for a particular sector, they should not expect to receive that entire amount, because it will likely be shared with other groups.
Foster said his work convinced him, “There is a need for this type of funding in the community.”
Rushton said he had objected to the rule where groups have to survive and do well first in order to qualify. He explained some groups are trying to establish more events for fall and winter to attract visitors, and they could use financial help. He said to not support them could hurt them.
He added that if some groups have been operating for 20 years, they should be able to generate their own funds.
He said he is concerned that thousands of volunteer hours could be spent on projects but a lack of funding could mean “They’ll never make it to their second year.”
He added that at one time, council grants were often “seed grants” to help such things get started.
But Goldie said there was no formal policy for start-up funding, and in the communities he checked, groups “have to prove in their application that they are a worthy event. The committee did not feel it appropriate to delegate responsibly to organizations with no history.”
Council’s committee of the whole then approved the proposal.
The following organizations in Centre Wellington do not have to apply for grants.
– $1,650, Fergus and District Horticultural Society;
– $1,850 Elora and Salem Horticultural Society;
– $1,500, Elora Lions Club (Santa Claus parade);
– $2,400, awards of excellence (chamber of commerce);
– $500, Centre Wellington District High School, for student citizen of the year;
– $5,000, Elora Cataract Trailway Association;
– $1,700, Fergus Lions Club (Santa Claus parade);
– $300, Royal Canadian Legions, for wreaths;
– $500, Wellington County Farm and Home Safety Association;
– $550, senior Summer Games; and
– $1,500, Ponsonby Recreation Club.
The total cash for groups that do not have to apply for a grant is $17,450.
