By Neil Horner
The ongoing dispute between the City of Quesnel and the Cariboo Regional District over funding for the sub-regional recreation function came to a head this week, with the CRD being issued an ultimatum.
If the CRD doesn’t come up with a commitment to provide more funding for the function by Tuesday, the municipality will hand over the keys to the Quesnel and District Arts and Recreation Centre and the Quesnel Twin Arenas.
In an interview Thursday, Mayor Nate Bello said the issue of recreation funding has been simmering for a year, with no resolution in sight. Now, with a $180,000 shortfall in recreation funding, the problem has come to a head.
“When there’s that kind of shortfall, you can’t say it’s business as usual,” he said. “We have to think of the larger issues.”
Bello noted that, because of the current funding formula, the City of Quesnel would pay 70 per cent of the $180,000 shortfall, so all the municipality is looking for from the CRD is an increase in their funding of roughly $54,000.
Bello noted that although there are no meetings currently slated with CRD directors prior to the Tuesday deadline, he is hoping that dialogue can be initiated and an understanding reached.
“I would like to talk with them,” he said. “It’s in the interests of the community to have a quality service, but the funding is just not there. I’m sure the regional district people believe they are doing the best thing, and I am willing and council is willing to have more communication with them. We’re open to any discussion.”
Bello said the $180,000 doesn’t represent a big increase in terms of improving the facilities. Far from it, in fact. However, he said the time has come to take a stand.
“We are the ones who put money into the soccer fields. We are the ones who put $50,000 into the dance floor. We are the ones who gave $50,000 to the school district for field space,” he said. “The CRD is not thinking about recreation in a positive, proactive light. We haven’t had an opportunity to do anything proactive unless the city paid for it. This could all be avoided if the CRD said ‘yes, we are willing to fund it properly.’”
For her part, CRD director Mary Glassford said she was unable to comment on the ultimatum, as it is currently in camera. However, she did point out the minutes of the joint CRD/City of Quesnel meeting of October 25, 1988, just shortly prior to the referendum being presented to taxpayers. In the minutes, it said that “every taxpayer will pay the same rate, based on the value of his property.”
This, she said, is no longer the case, as rural area residents currently pay double the rate paid by municipal taxpayers.
“There was an agreement that residential people would pay the same rate,” she said. That’s what this was based on all along. It was always meant to be the same.”
In a prepared statement, CRD chair Ted Armstrong noted that Bello’s January 26 comments said the sub-regional service review’s purpose was to propose a balanced approach to financing and look to creating more efficiencies in the operation.
“Isn’t that the role of the City of Quesnel as the operations manager of the service?” he asked. “If the current operations do not have a balanced approach to financing and efficiencies, who is to blame?”
Armstrong said he was deeply disappointed with the city’s decision.
“We are disappointed city council feels that discontinuing the current arrangement is the only way we can achieve our broader objective of quality and equitable recreation services,” he said. “We trust we will be able to work together during this transition period to minimize the impacts on recreation users and ensure the provision of high quality services.”
On Thursday, the impacts were already being felt, at least by the employees at the facilities involved.
Ron Yager is the vice president of CUPE local 3176, representing the workers at the recreation centre. He said workers are feeling like pawns in a power struggle between the two levels of government.
“On the one side, we are not sure why the City doesn’t fork over the extra 30 per cent they need for one year’s budget and in the interim figure out the core review,” he said. “On the other side, we can’t figure out why the CRD won’t fork over a measly $54,000.”
Yager said the morale amongst the staff is terrible at this point.
“Overall, it’s just disheartening,” he said. “Being blindsided like this doesn’t sit well with most of the staff.”
Arts coordinator Maggie Ferguson-Dumais agreed that the impact is being felt by workers.
“The morale is in the garbage,” she said. “People are expecting layoff notices on Tuesday. The staff are pretty distressed. To do something like this to the staff is very demoralizing, and it’s going to take a long time to recover.”
Aquatic program coordinator Dianne Natalizio agreed.
“This has been a huge shock to the staff here,” she said. “We have some very highly skilled and dedicated employees who are very upset about the direction this has taken.”
Denise Guthro has worked at the recreation centre for 13 years. She said the most upsetting thing is that the public has not had an opportunity to give their input into the situation. As well, she said staff don’t like being used as pawns in a power struggle between the CRD and the City of Quesnel.
“They say we’re exceptional employees, but then they treat us like this,” she said.
Dan Weiman works as the president of CUPE 1050, representing the workers at the Quesnel Twin Arenas. He said the municipality should come up with the needed funding while negotiations with the CRD continue.
Weiman also said that if the management is handed over to the CRD, layoffs could well result, and this would send ripples right through the system.
“For sure there will be bumping,” he said.
