District of 100 Mile House mayor and council questioned a late grant-in-aid request at its Jan. 24 regular meeting.
The South Cariboo Sustainability Committee and the Agri-culture Enterprise Development Centre requested $160 for 100 Mile Community Hall rental fee to host renowned speaker Richard Heinberg.
However, council raised some concerns about the request.
Mayor Mitch Campsall noted the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) had already granted $450 for hosting the event, and the tickets were being sold at $12 each. He wondered whether there was a need for more funding.
“I would like to know where the money that they’re collecting at the door … is going. They didn’t give us any information, and when we do a grant-in-aid, we need all that information before we do [that].”
The CRD board had granted the request at its Jan. 20 meeting.
Trustees passed a motion the $450 be shared between the Special Projects Funds covering electoral areas G, H and L (all in the South Cariboo), as well as areas D (Commodore Heights/McLeese Lake) and F (150 Mile/Horsefly/Likely).
Meanwhile, Campsall noted the deadline for the grant-in-aid period is well past the fiscal year, and an application form had not been filled out, and that was the only process the district has for supplying funding to groups.
Coun. Dave Mingo said if the group is bringing in Heinberg as a fundraiser, it should have indicated that in its request.
“If they are upfront and say it’s for a fundraiser for their groups, then great, but we don’t know where it’s going to.”
Campsall added he doesn’t like giving out grants-in-aid unless he knows where the money is going.
“I’m not intrigued about giving taxpayers money away, and I’d like to know where, what and how.”
It was noted the request had come in about a week before the council’s cancelled Jan. 10 meeting, but by the Jan. 24 meeting, there was likely insufficient time for the groups to fundraise before the Feb. 7 event.
Noting the minimal amount of $160 requested, council agreed it didn’t have a problem supporting a fundraiser for the groups, if that is what it is.
It granted the request, providing the groups are asked to explain where the total money from grants and ticket sales is going.
