Council keeps grant funding

Looks like city hall is not getting out of the grant business.

After moving two community support groups into an essential, fee-for-service category, council went against a staff recommendation to gradually phase- out the amount of money it spends on seven agencies.

On Tuesday, council earmarked the same level of funding this year that it granted seven organizations in 2011 — $138,524.

For years, council has talked about getting out of the grant business. In recent years it cut back or eliminated the city’s contribution to some groups because residents can’t afford property tax hikes.

In a report, staff recommended council reduce what it spends on agencies not providing core municipal services over the next three years.

Representatives from YWCA Niagara Region and Women’s Place of South Niagara convinced councillors they should be considered fee- for-services, qualifying them for priority funding from the city.

Both organizations said they provide services for homeless women and children, and those who are victims of domestic violence. Cutting back any contribution to those groups would hamper their ability to continue providing for the growing list of people they see.

Do we need to really keep funding this stuff, especially in a recession? We’re either serious about belt-tightening or we’re not.” Coun. Janice Wing

Council agreed, approving $51,333 for YWCA, and $19,350 for Women’s Place.

The city is also giving Greater Niagara General Hospital Foundation $50,000 to support the agency’s efforts to purchase medical equipment for the hospital.

Coun. Janice Wing agreed to funding the YWCA, Women’s Place and GNGH Foundation, saying it will help ensure some of the city’s most vulnerable are taken care of.

But she didn’t endorse council’s move to grant a total of $ 17,841 to the Stamford Lions Club, Niagara Falls Badminton Club, Niagara Falls Lawn Bowling Club and Niagara District Art Association.

She said those agencies are not providing essential services, particularly “when we know we have money problems.”

“Do we need to really keep funding this stuff, especially in a recession?” she asked. “We’re either serious about belt- tightening or we’re not.”

Coun. Bart Maves described the $17,841 as “petty cash” compared to what will be a multimillion- dollar 2012 budget. He said council should not punish the organizations receiving that money for the city’s current fiscal position. He and his colleagues should look deeper if it really wants to find savings.

“There are bigger fish to fry in our budget,” he said.