As they’ve done for several years Ponoka County council is supporting the Rimbey Horticultural Society’s annual Horticulture and Craft Show.
Councilors agreed upon their usual donation of $100.
At the same meeting, July 16, the Ponoka Roping and Riding Association also requested Ponoka County be a sponsor at their year-end awards banquet.
Ponoka County recently installed a new policy stating organizations could only apply for donations at a certain point during the year. “We just want to look at everything at the same time and judge them on their merits,” said Coun. Paul McLauchlin.
Many organizations aren’t aware of the policy and council isn’t strictly enforcing it until next year.
However, councillors decided to defer participating as a sponsor because the request from the Roping and Riding Association is one they haven’t received before.
They’ll re-evaluate the request, along with any other first-time requests they receive this year, next year at the designated time.
Council feels future dealings with requests will become harder because next year they’re losing designated provincial funds that would have gone to the organizations.
“As of today the province — this revenue source will no longer be available next year unless they extend it again. They extended it for this year,” said CAO Charlie Cutforth, referring to drilling permits, which brought the province $650,000 in general revenue.
Municipal Sustainability Initiative funding is another program terminated at the end of this year, said Cutforth. “So that’s $481,000 we will not have next year.”