Red Deer city council approves $75,000 in funding for Central Alberta Sport Association in 2022

Both Central Sport and the City acknowledge that Red Deer is the only city of its size that does not have a municipal funded Sports Council type of organization.

Central Sport initially submitted a funding request to the City of Red Deer in January 2022 to support their organization for the year with additional funds for the following four years. However, administration advised that they did not qualify for funding under the Community Development Grant Policy, established in 2021, as well as other funding avenues for 2022.

Central Sport gave a new request on May 6 to council for support in 2022 in the amount of $75,000 and then $150,000 annually for 2023 and 2024. The topic was scheduled to be discussed at their May 24 meeting.

The day before council deliberations, Central Sport submitted an alternate request, removing their inquiry for 2022 and maintaining their desired funding for 2023 and 2024.

In their letter, Central Sport stated prior funds were running low, being allocated towards projects like increased sport accessibility. They stated in order to fulfill their goal of hosting roughly six sports events in each of the following two years, the Association needed additional funds to survive.

“We have met with City council, mayors, City managers and City administration over 30 times in the past five years preparing for this day. All along, being encouraged and being told that support will be there when we are ready,” said Central Sport in their letter. “The time is now and we are ready”

Due to the changing requests, council postponed the item to their meeting on June 20, asking Central Sport for clarity.

The Association submitted a fourth letter on May 31, requesting the initial $75,000 funding for 2022 and $150,000 for each 2023 and 2024.

The letter states upon reflection, the Association is in need of the funds in 2022 to support themselves for the remainder of the year.

Without funding channels available this year outside the operating reserve, administration kept their recommendation to deny their request as approving the funding may lead to reputational risk amongst the community. They said other organizations could also benefit from added funding and council would be going against set policies that are in place for fairness and transparency.

“I think this motion follows proper process and I think it also, in terms of setting precedence, we don’t [approve the funding]. Otherwise, why do we do budgets the way we do them if we’re going to keep revising them later in the cycle,” said Councillor Michael Dawe.

However, Councillor Vesna Higham, among others, expressed a desire to approve the request in support of the organization, stating it positively impacts youth and other facets of the community.

“The fact that they’ve existed and they have carried on work and then, suddenly, council last fall puts this policy framework and now they’re sort of caught up in this procedural prison that they’re in,” she said, “and I understand administration is simply trying to enforce this policy but council, we have the power to retroactively do the right thing.”

The initial motion to respectfully decline the funding was struck down 5-2, with Councillors Dawe and Victor Doerksen in favor, and Councillor Lawrence Lee and Mayor Ken Johnston not in attendance.

Councillor Higham put forward a new motion to approve the funding.

The motion passed 5-2, with Councillors Doerksen and Dawe opposed.

by Alessia Proietti

Red Deer city council approves $75,000 in funding for Central Alberta Sport Association in 2022

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