Lumby wants to simplify funding to community groups while ensuring that the North Okanagan Regional District remains focused. Council has decided to withdraw from a number of regional functions so it can provide financial assistance to agencies directly. The groups include St. John Ambulance, Okanagan Symphony and the film commission. “It doesn’t make sense for our administration to write a cheque to NORD and then they write a cheque to St. John Ambulance,” said Mayor Kevin Acton. Acton also believes that by taking workload off the regional district table, NORD staff and politicians can target broad issues that impact the North Okanagan. “I hope they can concentrate on things they should be doing like governance,” he said. According to Acton, there are benefits to non-profit organizations receiving funds from the village reporting directly to council. “Often we don’t have any idea of what they’re doing,” he said, adding that by controlling the flow of money, council also has options on where the funds go. “If a function doesn’t need our money, perhaps someone local can use it.” It will take some time for Lumby to move through the legal process required to withdraw from a regional district function.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Village set to leave functions
Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: October 19, 2010 7:00 PM
Lumby wants to simplify funding to community groups while ensuring that the North Okanagan Regional District remains focused. Council has decided to withdraw from a number of regional functions so it can provide financial assistance to agencies directly. The groups include St. John Ambulance, Okanagan Symphony and the film commission. “It doesn’t make sense for our administration to write a cheque to NORD and then they write a cheque to St. John Ambulance,” said Mayor Kevin Acton. Acton also believes that by taking workload off the regional district table, NORD staff and politicians can target broad issues that impact the North Okanagan. “I hope they can concentrate on things they should be doing like governance,” he said. According to Acton, there are benefits to non-profit organizations receiving funds from the village reporting directly to council. “Often we don’t have any idea of what they’re doing,” he said, adding that by controlling the flow of money, council also has options on where the funds go. “If a function doesn’t need our money, perhaps someone local can use it.” It will take some time for Lumby to move through the legal process required to withdraw from a regional district function.
Lumby wants to simplify funding to community groups while ensuring that the North Okanagan Regional District remains focused. Council has decided to withdraw from a number of regional functions so it can provide financial assistance to agencies directly. The groups include St. John Ambulance, Okanagan Symphony and the film commission. “It doesn’t make sense for our administration to write a cheque to NORD and then they write a cheque to St. John Ambulance,” said Mayor Kevin Acton. Acton also believes that by taking workload off the regional district table, NORD staff and politicians can target broad issues that impact the North Okanagan. “I hope they can concentrate on things they should be doing like governance,” he said. According to Acton, there are benefits to non-profit organizations receiving funds from the village reporting directly to council. “Often we don’t have any idea of what they’re doing,” he said, adding that by controlling the flow of money, council also has options on where the funds go. “If a function doesn’t need our money, perhaps someone local can use it.” It will take some time for Lumby to move through the legal process required to withdraw from a regional district function.
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3 comments:
Apparently, Mayor Acton is not concerned about how this proposed withdrawal will negatively impact the groups he wishes to help.
Now those groups will have to go around and schlep their funding requests, not only to the Regional District, but also, to the Village of Lumby and any other jurisdictions that might decide to withdraw.
Those same REGIONAL organizations that Mayor Acton wishes to help - the Okanagan Film Commission, the Okanagan Symphony, St John's Ambulance, etc - will now be forced to spend MORE of their precious time and effort putting together proposals for funding, attending council, board, committee meetings, etc.
How does this make more sense, than the current funding options available for those regional organizations under the umbrella of the regional district?
If the Village of Lumby wants to administer its OWN grants for LOCAL organizations, it can already do so, without the regional district's help, and without ANY NEED to withdraw from these regional functions.
So what is really going on here? Does Mayor Acton truly expect these 3 regional organizations to come and grovel to Lumby Village Council for that $754 you suddenly don't want to give them through the regional district?
Please, consider the consequences of your (politically-motivated?) actions on these valuable community and service groups.
I don't blame Lumby-this help to organizations like the Film Commission should have only been temporary anyway.
Can't wait to see how this strategy plays out:
"Save $754 by pulling out of regional functions, and then ask the region to help fix our Lumby pool liner for $100,000."
Penny-wise, pound-foolish?
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