SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 2
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
FEBRUARY 1, 1996
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: January 19, 1996
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: Director of Finance, Manager of Community Services -
Social Planning and Director of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT: 1996 Funding Ceiling for Civic Grants
INFORMATION
The General Managers of Community Services and Corporate Services
submit this report for INFORMATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
City Council, on March 7, 1978, adopted a policy whereby the annual
civic grant program is separated into three categories of 'Community
Services', 'Cultural', and 'Others', with a funding ceiling for each
category established each year by Council upon the recommendation of
the Director of Social Planning and the Director of Finance.
City Council, on October 23, 1990, approved the Civic Childcare
Strategy Report from the Director of Social Planning and established
the Childcare Grant as a fourth category.
City Council, on August 15, 1991, approved the discontinuation of the
Strategic Cities Program and established the Sister City Society
Grants to be administrated by the Director of Finance and funded under
'Other' Grants.
City Council, on December 15, 1994, approved the budget of the
Collingwood Neighbourhood House Society to operate the facilities at
Collingwood Village. The grant is administered by the Director of
Finance and funded under 'Other' Grants.
City Council, on September 14, 1995, received the final report from
the Economic Development Task Force and approved an annual grant to
the Economic Development Commission. The grant is administered by the
Director of Finance and funded under 'Other' Grants.
City Council, on December 14, 1995, approved the Barriers-to-Bridges
Neighbourhood Development Grants Program to be administered by the
Manager of Community Services - Social Planning.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to advise Council of the 1996 funding
ceilings for each of the Civic Grant categories as recommended by the
Director of Finance, the Director of Cultural Affairs, and the Manager
of Community Services - Social Planning. An inflationary increase of
2% over the 1995 budget level is recommended.
BACKGROUND
Each year, the Manager of Community Services - Social Planning, and
the Director of Cultural Affairs submit reports to Council dealing
with the funding ceilings of the 'Community Services', 'Cultural' and
'Childcare' categories. A separate report from the Director of
Finance will deal with the funding ceiling for 'Other' Grants.
These reports seek approval for the maximum funding to be provided in
the current financial year for the Civic Grant Program, and do not
deal with the approval of grants to individual organizations.
DISCUSSION
The following table presents a summary of the funding ceilings
recommended by the Director of Finance, the Director of Cultural
Affairs and the Manager of Community Services - Social Planning,
incorporating a 2% increase, except: in the 'Other' Grants budget.
The budget ceiling for 'Other' Grants is based on estimated
requirements and on programs previously approved by Council.
1995 Ceiling 1996 Recommended
Community Services $ 2,770,400 $ 2,826,000
Cultural 2,999,695 3,059,690
Daycare 646,310 659,300
Other 704,500 1,126,500
Staff are recommending that an inflationary allowance of 2% be allowed
for the Community Services, Cultural and Daycare Grants. This will
provide the Civic Grants Program with approximately the same composite
rate increase as in other civic departments.
Council should be aware that the Preliminary Operating Budget includes
CAP recovery of $470,000, the same level as in 1995, against the
proposed Community Services Grants Budget of $2,826,000. As discussed
in the 1996 Operating Budget - Preliminary Report, we are assuming
that the CAP funding will remain at the 1995 level. Council has
directed that any reductions, if materialized, will be passed through
to the taxpayers as a tax increase, for 1996 only.
Details of the proposed ceilings are included in the companion
reports. Council should note that the 1995 Cultural Grant Ceiling
also provides continued support for the Vancouver Symphony Society s
rental of office space in the Orpheum Theatre. An amount of $100,000
has been allocated annually as part of the "rescue" package approved
in 1988, and it will be included as part of the 'Other' grant report
later this year.
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