(Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre)

By Alessia Proietti

Community Grants

Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre and Sports and Recreation earn added funds in budget

Dec 5, 2022 | 10:31 AM

Red Deer’s city council approved community grants for the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre (CACPC) and added funds for the Sports and Recreation sector, during their 2023-24 Capital and Operating Budget deliberations on Friday.

Council found some challenges with the implementation of the recent community grants policy change in 2021, where all organizations are meant to follow an application process rather than specifically being chosen by council for funding.

The City said in 2021 that the new policy was intended to reduce duplication and increase accountability and reporting among organizations. Standardized applications would give organizations the opportunity to state how the funds would help them reach outcome themes such as social development, sport and recreation, art and culture, economic development and environmental initiatives.

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An extra $300,000 was added for community grants in the latest budget, for a total of $1.3 million by municipal tax supported funds. Annually, the City said $15 million gets distributed, with $10.7 million from provincial and federal grants and $3.3 million by the municipality towards third party operations of City owned assets.

On Dec. 2, Councillor Dianne Wyntjes requested the CACPC receive an added one-time funding of $75,000 each in 2023 and 2024.

“I am concerned that if we do not provide funding to this organization, and I support the policy 100 per cent as well, but it goes back to my point about walking before you run and I cannot not raise this issue as a councillor knowing what I do about the support and the actions and the initiatives that the Crime Prevention Centre does, how they leverage dollars and if we do not fund them adequately, it may be on us with reduced programs in the community,” she said.

Councillor Lawrence Lee did not approve singling out organizations as it goes against the new grant policy.

Councillor Vesna Higham requested a similar motion to add one-time funding of $100,000 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2024 for the Sports and Recreation outcome. Speaking about Central Sport in particular, she said the sports industry also needs support during the transition into this new policy.

Councillor Victor Doerksen said Councillor Higham’s main motive is to support Central Sport, rather than sports initiatives in general, and said council should change the policy if they do not want to follow it.

The two amendments were passed by council.