ALL CITIZENS NEED REPRESENTATION - NOT JUST PROPERTY OWNERS

WILL RECREATION CENTRE USER FEES BE ATTAINABLE FOR ALL CITIZENS?

I hope the new user fees, at the enhanced recreation centre, here in Gravenhurst, will be set at an acceptable, affordable level, to benefit all regions of the local economy. I’d hate to see all this work and expense result in a new facility that is priced above what some lesser income citizens can afford. I trust town council will appreciate there is a real danger of over-pricing admission, and losing potential users, because believe it or not, some citizens simply don’t have enough disposable income to cover extravagances. Hopefully that won’t include things like public swimming. It would be nothing short of a disaster if this was to happen.

I’ve often wondered whether or not local councillors pay enough attention to the rights and privileges of non-property owners in our town. Even when I bellyache about property taxes, I have to remind myself that the impact of tax increases spreads over the entire population, as landlords have to deal with respective increases......passing them onto tenants. It may be a more subtle application but somehow the increases eventually wind-up as rent hikes. You don’t often read about delegations of “citizens who rent,” approaching council, to defend their rights. It’s pretty much a landowner thing, to take-up issues, in person, with the municipal council. I just wonder, in any given council session, how much time might be devoted to the rights, privileges and well being of those citizens who don’t own cottages, residential properties, commercial buildings etc.? I’d really want to believe they do think about everyone in this community as being equal.

Undoubtedly there will be pool user-rates established, based on fees charged at similar facilities in our region, and possibly beyond. I’d really like to see the town make strong representation, on this issue, to the managing group scheduled to run programs, that fees need to be based on our community’s capability to pay.....versus what happens elsewhere. It will most certainly will be the case that pricing it too high, will exclude hundreds of people simply based on the calculation of...... what is left after food, hydro, water and rent / mortgage payments. If the town is told what will be charged, based on formulas elsewhere, then they should act on the citizens’ best interests instead.......as it is their money, from one source of taxation to another, that has paid for this facility. And they should be able to benefit from it, without having deep pockets.

Priced sensibly, attendance numbers should be enough to make money back. Priced too high, and the bad karma just makes it another resource, a privilege beyond reach......and this negative wave will do far more damage to constituent confidence than anything else......creating the rift between the economies we were attempting to bridge, by building such a recreational resource in the first place.

The Opera House is a good example. Due to the high cost of rentals and the surcharge on ticket sales, many potential users are forced to beg for rent forgiveness or reductions, to run modestly successful events. The high rates might seem reasonable to councillors, elbows on the board table but they’re prohibitive to many show promoters who can’t take the risk of a high user fee, and then a potential low attendance. In the entertainment business, there are lots of inherent risks but having a lower rental fee, from the get-go, dulls at least one blade of the double-edged sword. How much business has been lost, and shows taken elsewhere, because the rent has been too high to gamble on. Considering that the town is losing money by having the site sitting empty, when users are most definitely interested in performing there, is what can happen to the new recreation facility, if rates aren’t managed properly. Penny wise, pound foolish!

When we operate a charity fundraiser, at the Opera House, we can only do so, by taking donations at the door, and hoping to get a good crowd. The donation-only format removes us from the ticket-sale surcharge which is substantial. We would lose a good chunk of what we donate annually, if we had to sell tickets through the Opera House box office. As taxpayers, and understanding the town does need to make a return on their investment, we refuse to ask for a discount.....and instead have found corporate / business sponsors, willing to offset rental costs. While we’re happy to continue doing this, other potential users of the site, are forced to either beg for reductions, pay the piper, or find another venue with a lower rental cost. This shouldn’t happen at the new recreation centre, just to make back the money fast. It won’t work. User confidence is a more important investment to secure right now. And times are lean and getting leaner.

I have worked in a number of charitable positions, over the decades, and we have never taken a break from our annual fundraising efforts in Gravenhurst. I have a good grasp of the social / economic needs of the region, and know how many folks will truly benefit from the pool when opened. Many of these potential users are low income, and range from young to old and all ages in between. And while council might argue that bombastic “Currie” plays both sides of the fence.....wanting us to make money back on one side, but giving discounted fees on the other, the real issue is that the whole project will be a much lesser community resource, as we have financed, if set rates exclude hometowners of lesser resources. So it is something for council to ponder, and hopefully, from within our band of elected officials, we will find an advocate for fair pricing for this dazzling new recreation complex.

As it is my investment, my neighborhood’s investment, my community’s investment, my government’s investment, I shall attend the opening ceremonies with great hope and anticipation......that it is exactly what we needed to improve the social and recreational needs of all us hometowners. And I will extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people at town hall, from council, to respective departments, for so kindly helping our citizens realize an important hometown milestone. And it will be! Expensive yes! A milestone none the less!