HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-12-12, Page 26At least one Central Huron
ratepayer believes it is time for
Central Huron Council to review its
relationship with the Regional
Equine and Agricultural Centre of
Huron (REACH).
REACH, which opened with the
promise of being a premier equine
training and educational facility in
2008, is a continuing drain on the
small rural municipality’s finances
according to ratepayer Carol Dutot,
a Goderich Township farmer who
appeared before council Dec. 3 to
unveil her financial report on the
facility.
“I did an analysis of what the
REACH centre has cost us since it
was built,” said Dutot while
unveiling her two-page report to
council.
Pointing to data dating back to
2006, which mostly came to Dutot
care of Central Huron’s Finance
Department, the figures show
consistent losses at the facility.
“In 2010, it really started to cost us
a lot of money,” said Dutot, noting
that year REACH cost Central
Huron $683,246. The year 2011 was
also costly, said Dutot, notingCentral Huron handed over
$691,967 to REACH.
Dutot said 2012 resulted in
$521,126 in REACH-related
expenses for Central Huron.
Meanwhile, REACH’s 2013 data is
showing a cost $282,535 to date of
when expenses were tabulated.
In all, said Dutot, REACH has cost
Central Huron ratepayers
$9,961,668. Dutot said her data
shows Central Huron will pay more
than $2.5 million in interest before
the facility is paid off.
She also referenced a Nov. 20
REACH board of directors meeting
that several councillors attended.
Dutot said she took exception to
board chairman Larry Langan’s
assertion the REACH meeting room
is rented out to whoever needs it at
an affordable price, since that is the
mandate of the board.
“It is my opinion that Mr. Langan
needs to have a little more
consideration for the taxpayers of
Central Huron that are funding this
place and charge renters according
to the facility and services they are
receiving,” said Dutot.
Dutot also questioned the
whereabouts of REACH’s 2012
audited financial statement as wellas its financial statement to date for
2013.
Pointing to figures that show
REACH has $214,000 in income to
date and $266,000 in wages, Dutot
says it seems the Centre is in for
another troublesome year-end
report.
Dutot also questioned the board’s
draft budget for 2014, which shows a
projected income of $79,000 in
revenue from admission fees in 2014
when only $12,000 has been
collected to date in 2013. She noted
the board has stated it plans on
steering clear of hosting events
unless a partner is found for them,
which also puts the $79,000 figure
into question.
“It’s just not rational at all,” said
Dutot.
Dutot also questioned the REACH
board’s “give” request of $245,000
for 2014 since the board stated it is
the same amount as last year while
Dutot contends it is actually $45,000
more than what was paid out for
2013. She questioned how REACH
was able to secure a $91,500 loan
when it is run by a volunteer board.
She asked who would be on the hook
for that loan when it needs to be paid
back.While reviewing the Centre’s
events over the past few years, Dutot
asked how one association was able
to rent the facility for $791 for two
days when the rental fee is supposed
to be $150 an hour.
“Why are Central Huron
ratepayers subsidizing [the event]?”
she asked.
In her summary remarks, Dutot
recommended council consider not
funding REACH in 2014, resulting
in a savings of five per cent of the
municipality’s budget.
She said there are many other
areas of the municipality that could
be better serviced by the money that
has been funnelled into the Centre,
including more care for rural
roads.
“If we weren’t spending it all on
REACH … imagine all the good
things we could’ve done with this
money,” said Dutot. Dutot reminded
councillors that funding for the
Centre was a contentious issue prior
to the last municipal election.
“All this council admitted at the
all-candidates meeting that REACH
was broken and needed to be fixed.
Three years have passed and it is still
broken. Now is the time to fix it,”
she said.
During a question period with
councillors, Councillor Brian
Barnim agreed a change is required.
“We can’t continue this path of
destruction with this kind of money.
We’ve got too many years of ‘next’
year,” he said. “We’ve got to figure
out what Plan B looks like.”
Councillor Alex Westerhout, who
also sits on the REACH board, saidhe shares a lot of Dutot’s concerns,
but questioned some of the figures
she used to arrive at her results.
“Somebody’s mistaken, and I
don’t think it’s me,” he said.
Councillor Burkhard Metzger, who
also sits on the REACH board,
agreed with the sentiment that
operations cannot remain status quo.
“I think it’s time for a very big
change,” he said.
Mayor Jim Ginn said he agrees
REACH’s financial support requests
need to come down further.
“I think we all realize we need to
have a different business plan here,”
he said. “We will have those
discussions with them.”
PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013.
Sing it loud, sing it clear
Members of the St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church Choir belted out two songs during the
Brussels and Area Ministerial Community Choral Concert on Dec. 8. The group, which had
many young members, performed The Coventry Carol and Go Tell it On the Mountain.(Denny
Scott photo)
REACH’s true cost nearly $10 million says Dutot
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B a b i e s o f t h e
Y ear 2013
Community
Christmas Service
Sunday, Dec. 15 ~ 7:30 pm
Blyth Christian Reformed Church
Christmas Message by Pastor Sandra Cable
Special Music! Presiding: LWCF
Offering to North Huron Community Food Share
Presented by: Blyth Christian Reformed Church;
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Trinity Anglican Church, Blyth
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By Cheryl HeathSpecial to The Citizen
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