The Barrhead Town Council wants to share the operating costs of the County’s recreational facilities equally. That is if the county is willing to reciprocate the gesture.
In the town’s continuing efforts to have the county share the operating costs of all the area’s major recreational facilities, Barrhead Town Council, during its regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 25 unanimously passed a motion to draft a letter to the county asking them to consider once again to agree to share the operating costs equally on all of the town’s, especially of the Agrena, on an equal basis.
The suggestion was made by coucillor Ty Assaf, during discussion about approving the Recreational Department’s 2015 operational budget.
In the letter, he suggested that the town ask the county officials how much they spend operating their recreational facilities and offer that the town share those costs equally as well.
Assaf made the suggestion because of part of the discussion the town and county had during their joint council meeting on Nov. 6.
At that meeting Barrhead County Reeve Bill Lee said that the county would contribute as much as it could towards the operating budget of the Agrena, but that it was unfair for the town to ask for the county to share the operating costs equally, adding that the town did not contribute to the operational costs of the county’s recreational facilities.
The recreation department’s 2015 operating budget is estimated to be $955,447, with the major portion of the budget going towards the Agrena. The cost to operate the Agrena for 2015 is pegged at $662,567. The budget also includes expenditures for $7,000 and $25,880 respectively for the department’s summer youth programs as well as the curling rink.
The budget also included an operating deficit for the now nonexistant pool of $260,000.
Barrhead Mayor Gerry St. Pierre said after the recreation department deducts its revenues, which are projected at $220,647, it leaves a sizeable deficit.
“That leaves us with a deficit of $734,800,” St. Pierre said. “If the county rejects our request of sharing the funding equally that means we (town) would be responsible for approximately 80 per cent of that $734,800.”
If the county accepts the town’s offer its share of Barrhead recreation department’s budget would be $367,400.
In a related topic, during a short discussion over the Town of Barrhead’s physician recruitment operating budget, Mayor St. Pierre said he was disappointed the town would shoulder the entire costs.
At the joint town and county council meeting on Nov. 6 the county said that since the area had enough doctors, it was going to opt out of the Physician Recruitment and Retention committee, saying it was no longer needed.
Reeve Lee said on Nov. 6, that it was just a housekeeping matter of the county deciding which committees needed its attention. He said in the future if there was a need once again to be on the Physician Recruitment Committee, the county would once again be part of it.
Councillor Ryan Warehime asked town administration why the program’s budget had decreased to $2,500.
“Last year the budget was $4,300. Is it because we are no longer splitting the costs with the county?” Warehime asked.
Barrhead Chief Administrative officer Martin Taylor responded by saying that since the town is at full capacity the town anticipates it will only need $2,500 and that the budget was higher last year because the town had two new doctors.
St. Pierre said the budget would be used for gestures of appreciation, such as paying for memberships.
“The only concern I have is that the Town of Barrhead will be 100 per cent responsible for those expenditures,” St. Pierre said.
Town council also unanimously passed the 2015 budgets for the Barrhead Library, Barrhead Regional Fire Services, Emergency Response Centre, Barrhead Regional Landfill, Barrhead Airport Services and the Barrhead and District Twinning committee.
