What to do with the RECC?
Truro, Colchester municipalities hold community centre funding
“When this facility was put out there, we had discussions at the start that this facility wouldn’t undercut other facilities, like rinks and things, to get their business. It was to stand on its own as the premiere facility of this region, and not to take revenue from any of the other facilities.”
Coun. Mike Cooper
TRURO - The Rath Eastlink Community Centre (RECC) is a staple for community events, sports, and personal fitness in Truro and Colchester County.
However, a grant request from the RECC for $150,000 each from both the Town of Truro and Municipality of Colchester has the future of the community centre's funding left somewhat up in the air.
Before its construction, the Town of Truro and Municipality of Colchester agreed to the RECC'S funding equally.
During the recent discussions of operations budgets for both municipalities, they each decided on a course of action that would see this funding held from the RECC, and instead have Truro and Colchester governments cover the centre's deficit in March 2024.
TRURO’S BUDGET DECISION
During Truro's April 19 budget meeting, council decided against providing the RECC a one-time increased amount of $150,000 for operations. They instead opted to cover the RECC'S deficits come March 2024.
When the topic arose at the budget meeting, director of corporate services Bonnie Coulter spoke briefly about the contributions the town makes to parks and recreation.
"Although it's complicated in our budget layout, parks, recreation, and culture in the Town of Truro is $4.5 million," said Coulter during the meeting. "That is what is spent on an annual basis for parks, rec, and culture. We generate less than half a million dollars from any of those facilities, and 36 per cent of the capital reserve that is going to be spent this coming fiscal is spent on parks and rec."
Councillors voiced issues with membership fees, as well as the RECC using federal grants to host free concerts which has caused some backlash from those unable to acquire tickets quickly enough.
"Four million bucks a year, for a town our size ... it's just not right," said Mills during the meeting.
THE COUNTY'S RESPONSE
Truro's decision to hold funding for the RECC and instead pay its deficit in the next fiscal directly impacted Colchester's decision to deliver its half of the contribution, which had originally been in their budget.
Before approving their budget at their April 27 council meeting, Coun. Mike Cooper added an amendment to the motion. He asked that the funding they had allocated for the RECC instead be placed into a special operating reserve for the time being.
Cooper, in agreement with Mills and some Truro council members, spoke on why he thought this was necessary.
"I'm not very happy with the way they're doing things at the present," said Cooper during the meeting. "When this facility was put out there, we had discussions at the start that this facility wouldn't undercut other facilities, like rinks and things, to get their business. It was to stand on its own as the premiere facility of this region, and not to take revenue from any of the other facilities.
"As we've heard, there are people going from Scotia Pool to this facility because it's a lot cheaper to go there than it is the Scotia Pool ... they're holding down prices to attract people from Scotia Pool to here."
Coun. Wade Parker voiced his concerns with restricting the RECC'S funding.
"The only person that (it) affects is not the Town of Truro or us, it's the residents of Colchester County and the type of programming they're going to get at the RECC moving forward," Parker contended.
"What's going to happen is that we may see even more of a deficit at the end of the year than what that $150,000 is."
Asked by Parker to chime in, municipal solicitor Dennis James reiterated that, if they were to cover the deficit in March 2024, "whatever is spent is supposed to be 5050."
WHAT NOW?
In an interview with Saltwire, RECC general manager Matt Moore said a joint council meeting will be held between the two municipalities on May 11, where he hopes the three parties will be able to clarify their grievances,
"I feel like there were issues with the semantics of our request, and how both municipal partners are holding the funding for (the RECC)," said Moore.
According to him, the RECC has seen business compared to pre-pandemic levels, and that the one-time increase was only to have it in reserve if it was required.
"We really didn't hit our stride until six months into our budget year," said Moore, noting the role COVID played in reducing business for the RECC.
"We didn't ask the town or county for any additional funding - we relied on our own internal reserves that we developed in previous years.
"We're hoping we don't need extra funding, but it's also an uphill battle against, you know, the seven per cent increase to power, minimum wage increases ... expenses, maintenance requirements."
When asked how the RECC might be affected by the municipalities' covering the RECC'S deficit, Moore reiterated the town's and county's responsibility to cover it.
"We made the request to avoid running a deficit, and then we hear them say that they're not going to provide an operating grant that we requested, but they will cover the deficit ... to me, that's the same thing. I'm just looking forward to clarity."
Regardless of their budgeting woes, Moore said the RECC is excited to put off more events for the community that he hopes to announce within the coming weeks.