Halton Hills Council has sent staff back to the drawing board with proposed changes to the Town's community grant program after hearing objections from local service clubs.
A recent staff report to council detailed the proposed changes, which suggested tightening the eligibility criteria to not allow grants for "fundraising-based
activities, events, and initiatives where the primary intent is to raise funds."
Currently, consideration of grants for such programs is done on a case-by-case basis - something that staff says is difficult to administer impartially, and uses tax dollars for something other than providing municipal services.
Representatives from the clubs turned out at council to voice their opposition to the potential change that they fear would disqualify groups like theirs from being able to tap into the grants as many of their activities include a fundraising component.
For service clubs, the grants are often not cash in hand, but rather used to pay for required municipal fees and resources for events.
"The proposed changes risk that service clubs are ineligible," ex-president of the Halton Hills Optimist Club Olaf Krahmer told council.
Krahmer was accompanied by Louie Violo and John Fini from the Lions Club and Lois Fraser from the Kiwanis Club. The three clubs spoke on behalf of all similar organizations in Halton Hills.
"Many of our events have a fundraising component," Krahmer explained to council. "When the Town did not have the budget to pay for the salary of a mental health worker for the Georgetown and Acton youth centres, fortunately, we were approached by the Town. We were able to provide the $8,000 that was required, plus an additional $10,000 that was eventually used toward the Acton Youth Centre. Without fundraising, we would not be able to help the Town out in situations like these."
Service clubs often have the ability to mobilize support on the ground where the Town is not able to. They also throw events that are culturally important. The Georgetown Lions Club has been hosting the local Santa Claus Parade for almost a century.
Council and staff were receptive to the feedback from the clubs.
"If there's any feeling that there was no appreciation [for the clubs], I want to nip that in the bud now. We have tremendous appreciation for what they do," Commissioner of Recreation and Parks Paul Damaso said in council.
He added "perhaps there is an opportunity to sit down with the groups" and enter into some sort of partnership, outside of the grant program - something the clubs have previously suggested. He also offered deferral as an option so staff can review its report on the topic.
Councillor Clark Somerville got the ball rolling with a motion to send the report back to staff, which will allow for further discussions with the service clubs and potential revisions to the grant program.
Krahmer told HaltonHillsToday that he was pleased with the passing of the deferral.
"We felt that our message was heard by staff and the mayor," he said.
