Synopsis

People participating in Culture Centre  discussion  are still thinking in terms of a new agreement. I don't understand why.

Since 1976/2002, Church Street School was a functioning facility of the town's Leisure Services  Department.

At different times, various community groups made use of the space.

At no time did disputes over scheduling ever  rise to the surface.

The town's museum was the constant tenant after York County Board of Education moved to their new facility in 1976.

After the Historical Society launched a fund-raising drive and were recipients of a generous private  bequest  to fund a new museum, the society  sought a legal agreement  with the town to protect their investment in the building and give them authority to manage the facility.

Apparently there was resentment at being subject to any authority  on  use of the building.

They got what they sought

There was a change in the  executive .The Society withdrew from the  commitment to operate the museum because they only had   fifty-nine members.

The new executive signed off on protection for  the investment At whose request is not clear. In return for what alternative  from the town is equally mystifying.

That they did it, is the only amazing  fact.

It should be a lesson for the municipality about the permanence  of legal agreements with voluntary organisations.  

Nothing  in  the town's experience,  indicates a need or justification for arm's length governance of the facility either.

The Aurora  Arts and Culture Fund established by David Merkur of the Aurora Shopping Centre  almost fifty years ago, attracted no new benefactor until Joseph Lebovic started  to contribute in the last decade.

The town owns the Church Street School. Millions have been invested in the building. No rent is paid. The town  maintains and services the facility with utilities and transfers a ton of money, with  annual increases  from the town treasury.

Nothing commends management by a faceless, unaccountable body
committed to secrecy of meetings and an absence of records, accompanied by complete ignorance, matched only by arrogance   and total  lack of respect for the principle of accountability.

Abslutely none of these  fact mitigates in favour of an agreement of any kind with an  external body..

None of our experience suggests the facility cannot be equally well managed  by town resources..

At very least, the arrangement  would see revenue returns from user fees and accountability to the body which is accountable to the public. for competent management of  a valuable town asset.

Credentials of a  chartered or a general accountant or a lawyer either, are completely  unnecessary to recognize the current agreement is unsustainable and no alternate agreement  is necessary to better serve the community.

Or to argue  anything  done until this date,  is an  indication of financial or professional competence.

Notwithstanding the Mayor's claim, in the public debate last Tuesday that his way is "the professional way"