AlexReil has left a new comment on your post "We Got Principles and if you don't like them We GO...":
Good-Day Councilor Buck,
I would love to speak with you regarding the Aurora Relay For Life event.
While I understand and appreciate your perspective on town support for charity events, you really portray the Canadian Cancer Society in a poor light to make your point.
For example, while the office that oversees services to the community of Aurora is located in Newmarket the event itself is totally co-ordinated and run by local volunteers.
I would very much like to have some tea and chat about this event and give my thoughts on town support to charity events.
Regards,
Alex Reil
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Mr. Reil ,
a request for free use of town services has been made. It is in contravention of a a policy that the town will provide the service at cost to groups who meet the criteria of the policy. Taxpayers will not carry the extra burden of providing the service free to some and not others.
I do not accept the Canadian Cancer Society, or any other fund-raising organisation is portrayed in poor light under these circumstance. My commitment is to the people who elected and trust me to use their resources fairly, transparently and with complete equity.
Last year the Relay for Life Event raised $80 Ks. More is anticipated in 2011. Why is payment of a $650 user fee for facilities needed to carry out the event, a hardship?
You point out "the event is totally run and co-ordinated by local volunteers" $80Ks is an amazing amount of money from a relatively small community. It's a huge credit to the people who organise and participate in the event and to the community which keeps on giving.
When people give so generously and work so hard to raise the funds, why should the elected body be asked to dip further into their pockets without as much as a, by your leave?
The town spends to build picnic tables and garbage containers.The town buys trucks to transport them where they are needed . The town employs manpower to carry the stuff . The service is at cost and provided with a smile.
Still it's not enough. Organisations like yours demand it be free.
The Canadian Cancer Society is not alone.
Mr. Reil. I assume you speak for the Society.
I am not familiar with the governance of your organisation. so I am not aware of your role.
Nevertheless, I expect you to be familiar with the ways local taxpayers support services to families faced with the terrible toll of this disease. Unlike residents outside Region of York , served by the hospital in Newmarket, we pay property taxes for construction of facilities.
The Cancer Society must have rules and policies in place to determine who and what assistance is received by families who ask for help. How could you not?
How would you function with fairness and equity, if some families had an advocate determined to receive more than is reasonable or equitable or permitted within the rules.
As one organisation to another, I believe that is opportunistic. There is no logic or integrity in the demand.
It disregards the need for equity and consistency among users.
It denies the need for principles in governance.
By the way, I have heard from supporters and participants of the Relay for Life event in Aurora.
More openness and transparency from your organisation would be appreciated.
How much money is received from volunteer groups, how much of it goes to help families, to research, to results achieved and to costs of administration?
In heartfelt memory of family members lost, they will keep on giving.
There's just that much more satisfaction in knowing the effort is worthwhile.
Sunday 1 May 2011
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2 comments:
........And further more I think I'll take a pass on the tea ,
Can you believe these people thinking you are the misguided one , the only misguided ones are those who continue to throw tax payers money at every Tom Dick and Tea drinking Harry on the planet, Who would have thought it, after the message that was sent last october 25th !!!!
Evelyn, are you very sure that user fees reflect the actual costs of running the Town's facilities?
The information in the budget package is so uniformly opaque as to ensure that no one knows.
Why does it cost less to rent ice time from the Town in the summer than in the winter? Surely it is more expensive to produce and maintain ice in the summer.
Is the Town pricing of facilities actually about the real costs of offering services, or is it a market cost based on supply (we have arenas!) and demand (we don't have customers to use them in July)?
I'm asking because it appears Council is planning to discuss and debate the idea of forming a policy about charitable groups that use Town facilities. You feel revenue shouldn't be lost to charities. To be consistent, you should make sure it's not being lost to other groups, either.
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