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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1991-07-24, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1991. Rutabaga committee's aid request troubles councillors Blyth village council will hold a special meeting tonight (Wednes day) to consider a request from the the Blyth Rutabaga Festival Com mittee for major funding of the annual event. A delegation from the Rutabaga Festival appeared before council to report on this year's event and to ask that council consider more aid than the $5000 interest-free loan it has provided for the first two Festi vals. Judy Carter, chairman of this year's event said the group has dif ficulty because it needs to book bands and attractions for the parade, the biggest expense, months in advance to make sure they will be available but it's hard to get the money to be sure the groups will be paid. If the group could start planning in September and tell people the council is behind the project it would be easi er, she said. This year with the recession on she had to beg people to support the parade, she said. Linda Vir suggested that council might lake on sponsorship of the parade, so the groups would know it had the money to go ahead and book bands. Councillor Steven Sparling said he wanted to correct any impres sion the council wasn't behind the festival. "Whatever we were asked, we did," he said, mentioning the $5000 loan. Reeve Albert Wasson said he had understood the event was originally planned as a business promotion and wondered at the appropriate ness of council getting involved in a larger way. "What difference docs it make (to have the festival) to our ratepayers?" he wondered. Supporting the efforts of a business group was one thing but this would be "getting into something differ ent". Bev Elliott said Reeve Wasson was right, that the festival did start out as a business promotion but few business people are involved anymore. The group would like to see the event go on as a community project but if there aren't enough volunteers it's impossible. The group had to beg for support this year, she said. She wondered whether council fell the event should continue Reeve Wasson said he wanted to support the group but "I'm just one ratepayer". Supporting the event through taxes was a forced way of fundraising, he said. Mrs. Elliott said the need for council funding might not be per manent. The group made a $1000 profit its first year and $730 this year so after a few years might have enough to fund itself. Groups like the Legion, Lions and Opti mists had been very good with their support but some businesses are finding it harder under the current conditions, she said. Lynn Logue said some business people had suggested the festival be held every other year but "if you don't have it every year the com mittee dies." She said businesses felt it cost them loo much to con struct floats and many didn't take part this year. But, Judy Carter said, they promised they'd take part next year. Reeve Wasson wondered if the council did take on funding of the parade, how large a portion of the overall budget that would be. Mrs. Logue said it would be a major por tion. (A figure of $2000 for the parade had been suggested and the total budget for the festival was $8900.) Linda Vir said that funding of the ‘ parade would let the committee look at other things. Mrs. Elliott suggested more money could be spent on advertising the event. Only $890 was budgeted for adver tising this year, she said, because of tight finances. Councillor Dave Lee wondered if it would help the committee book bands ahead if council provided part of its loan earlier. Mrs. Elliott said the problem is not the loan but knowing for sure there will be money to pay groups when the time comes. The $1700 the group now has will be used up in publishing a cookbook to be printed. When it comes lime to buy souvenirs for next year the group will be hard pressed again, she said. Councillor Sparling suggested perhaps a fundraising committee should be an integral part of the committee. But Mrs. Logue said it's hard to keep hitting hard-pressed businesses for more donations. People need to have a strong sense that the council is behind the event, she said. But Reeve Wasson wondered if the council might not be criticized for interfering with something start ed by the business community. "How it started out last year and how it ended up this year are two different things," Mrs. Elliott said. After the committee had left, with a promise council would have an answer at its Aug. 14 meeting, councillors returned to the topic late in the session. Councillors were troubled about how to encour age the group without committing money when they weren't sure that's what the taxpayers would want . "There has to be a fairly seri- policy. WATCH OUT FOR WEATHER CHANGES SSjA THt ROYAl Jff * UFf SAVINC < SOCIETY CANADA ous look (to see) if this is what the council sees the ratepayers wanting us to do with their money." "Why should the ratepayers have to pay for a parade", Councilor Dave Lee wondered. "I really don't see how we can given them money. It's stretching our generosity to guarantee the loan." "I don't know - I really don't know," Reeve Wasson mused. "I certainly don't want to give the impression we don't care." 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