REQUEST FOR DECISION
DATE: March 6, 2023 Report No. FIN-23-003
TO: Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Ian Irvine, Director of Financial Services
SUBJECT:
Title
2023 Local Grant Allocations
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council:
(i) consider the allocation of local grants in the amount of $143,300 annually for the 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 fiscal years as set out in the schedule as attached to Staff Report No. FIN-23-003, and
(ii) direct staff to prepare a revised local grant policy for Council consideration.
Body
RELEVANT POLICY:
Council Policy FIN-19 Esquimalt High School
Council Policy FIN-20 Local Grants
Council Policy FIN-21 Victor Brodeur
STRATEGIC RELEVANCE:
Healthy, livable and diverse community
Support the arts, culture and heritage community
BACKGROUND:
In accordance with Council Policy No. FIN-20 Local Grants, funding for local grants is provided within the annual Financial Plan. This Policy currently allows for the Committee to recommend an allocation of up to 90% of the annual budget amount for applications which satisfy the submission requirements. After the initial allocation, any remaining funds would be available for ad hoc applications approved throughout the year.
The current Policy includes a mechanism for increasing the total annual amount available. This updated calculation results in the local grant account balance being adjusted to an amount equivalent of a .50% tax increase based on the previous year's actual financial results. Based on the 2022 information, an amount of $160,000 has been included in the local grants account within the draft 2023-2027 Financial Plan.
The Local Grant Committee, comprised of Councillors Armour, Boardman, and Helliwell, held a meeting on February 16, 2023, to prepare its recommendations to Council. A total of 25 submissions were received prior to the deadline and the Committee scored each application using the updated evaluation matrix. Following a review of the aggregated matrix scores and detailed discussion by the Local Grant Committee, funding recommendations were unanimously approved. In addition to the funding allocation recommendation, the Committee also expressed an interest in seeing amendments to the existing Council Policy. These potential changes would include the current process regarding an initial intake and subsequent requests, the funding calculation and the treatment and impacts of multi-year funding allocations.
ISSUES:
1. Rationale for Selected Option
Attached to this report is the Local Grant Worksheet which includes the complete list of applicant organizations, amounts approved during the three previous years, as well as the requested grants and recommended allocations for the 2023 fiscal year. As detailed in the 2023 local grant schedule, a total of $282,725 was requested. While this total exceeds the $144,000 available for allocation, the amounts being recommended by the Committee are in accordance with the Council Policy.
The Committee has also recommended that the 2023 local grant recipients be approved for the same level of funding during the 2024, 2025 and 2026 fiscal years. This recommendation for multi year approvals was made with the intention of providing a level of stability for those recipients and, while clearly not specified, it does not fall outside the existing conditions within the Local Grant Policy.
2. Organizational Implications
There are no organizational implications of this decision.
3. Financial Implications
The Committee recommends the distribution of $143,300 in local grants, as indicated in the attached schedule. This figure includes amounts for L’École Victor Brodeur and Esquimalt High School as outlined within their respective Council Policies as attached to this report. The remaining balance in the account after this allocation would be $16,700 and would be available during the remainder of the 2023 fiscal year to fund future ad hoc grant requests.
4. Sustainability & Environmental Implications
There are no sustainability or environmental implications of this decision.
5. Communication & Engagement
All applicants will be formally notified of Council’s funding decisions and those approved for cash funding will receive a cheque payment from the Township. Internally, the Parks and Recreation department will be notified of all approved in kind support to help ensure the event costs can be appropriately tracked, recorded, and communicated.
Any recipients approved for multiple year funding will receive communication which will include the timing of future payments, the process for determining between future year cash and in kind support as well as the continued need for each organization to satisfy the annual reporting requirements stipulated within the Policy.
ALTERNATIVES:
1.That Council:
(i) consider the allocation of local grants in the amount of $143,300 annually for the 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 fiscal years as set out in the schedule as attached to Staff Report No. FIN-23-003, and
(ii) direct staff to prepare a revised local grant policy for Council consideration.
2. That Council amend and approve the local grant allocation schedule as amended.