London City Hall (credit: XFM News) The approved bylaw amendments lay out new red tape for landlords doing renovations and penalties for those who don't follow proper procedures
With London City Council looking to offset a steep increase in property taxes, community grant programs are on the chopping block.
The Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee discussed a recommendation to reduce funding for the Community Capital and Innovation Grant Program and the Neighbourhood Decision Making Program, which had previously been allocated budgets of $500,000 and $250,000 per year, respectively.
The Neighbourhood Decision Making Program is a way for community members to pitch ideas for new additions and improvements to the city, and then vote for the best ones to be funded.
Capital and innovation grants are meant to help organizations implement new ideas, or purchase the required capital to get started.
Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis, who first introduced the proposal, highlighted what he believes are some of the problems with the grant programs, which included giving grants to organizations with large fundraising bases of their own. As an example, he referenced the YMCA receiving a grant to replace their gym floor.
“The innovation and capital grant is not operating dollars,” he said. “It is actually requesting them to find new ways to spend our public dollars, to come up with new programs, to expand things they want to do–not their ongoing day-to-day operations.”
A group of community members also showed up to urge council to maintain funding to these programs. Many of these were members of local non-profit organizations who got started with the help of capital and innovation grants.
“The basic services that are provided by these organizations are the backbone of this city, and I will not break that,” said Councillor McAlister. “And I want us to maintain these funding sources, because they are so important.”
The committee approved a reduction of the capital and innovation grants for the next 3 years, capping it at $250,000 per year, on the condition that there is a surplus of $1 million in the Community Investment Reserve Fund.
They were unable to reach a decision, however, concerning the Neighbourhood Decision Making Program, with the vote tied seven to seven.
The recommendations from the committee will go to council for a vote on July 23, and a final decision regarding Neighbourhood Decision Making may be made then.
