Next week Brockton council will begin its annual budget deliberations.
Mayor Charlie Bagnato wants to come in with as close to a zero per cent increase as possible.
That’s going to be a tough challenge. Besides normal inflation increases across all departments, this year Brockton has already promised $50,000 for the steering committee looking into building a new civic centre and administration office. There are other special projects as well as ongoing ones such as doctor recruitment. So, while there are already new expenditures, aiming for a zero per cent tax increase will be a tough target to hit.
However, there’s one budget where council can realize a huge savings – the Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Tourist Information Centre’.
Every year council dishes out thousands of dollars for what really is a self-serve (self-serving?) room that’s filled with brochures on places across Ontario and Canada. They’re neatly hanging in pockets on the walls for people to take in the otherwise unused room.
This year the chamber is seeking $35,000 to operate the centre – that’s a lot of money for a service that last year was used by only about 500 people – less than two a day! To make matters worse, I’ve been told that the majority of people using the centre are locals looking for information on places that take them (and their spending dollars) away from Brockton. That’s not a smart use of $35,000 worth of taxpayer’s money.
Council has been very generous to the chamber of commerce over the years. In 2005 the municipality gave the chamber $16,000. This year the chamber, along with its Image Committee, is asking for $63,800. That’s also on top of the $56,500 the chamber receives through its mandatory levy applied to businesses in Walkerton plus volunteer memberships from others.
That represents an increase of almost 300 per cent in just five years. Mind you, at least it’s down from the $79,730 council gave the chamber and image committee in 2007
A quick check with other local municipalities shows that none give money for their tourist centres and in fact, most give very small grants to their chambers of commerce.
In speaking with local CAOs and politicians from around the area, including South Bruce, Hanover, Kincardine and Chesley, they were all shocked at how much Brockton hands out on an annual basis.
One Hanover official told me that the chamber there wants “the same sweet deal” given in Brockton.
Granted our chamber of commerce does a good job promoting Brockton and organizing a few events, but at what cost?
If the choice comes down to providing funding to land a new doctor or putting money aside for a new arena/administrative centre as opposed to providing glossy brochures for vacation trips out of the area, I know where I want my tax dollars to go.
When it comes to Chambers of Commerce, Brockton has a cadillac. However, when times are tough and the demand for tax dollars is constantly growing, perhaps a cadillac is simply too expensive.
Every year at tax time council has to make tough decisions. But, if the goal is to use tax dollars wisely, one option, at least, should be obvious.