By Mark Squibb/January 13, 2023
Witless Bay town council has once again delayed making a decision on how much — if any —funding it will commit to the Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association (BBBAA) in 2023.
The issue was on this week’s agenda, but councillor Nancy Burke, council’s BBBAA representative, moved that council defer the matter once again to “give us a chance to make a decision and communicate with the parties invovled.”
Councillor Jacob Hayden said the Town has yet to review documents submitted by the BBBAA prior to the December 22 council meeting, noting that folks were busy over the holiday season and away from their offices.
“We just haven’t had the time to meet back-and-forth with the BBBAA and discuss what was going to be laid out, so hopefully we’ll have all that laid out and figured out in time for the next meeting,” said Hayden.
The item was on the agenda for a special meeting held December 22, and was deferred during that meeting, with Burke noting that more discussions were required.
Though council has not made a firm decision either way, it has budgeted $37,000 for recreation administration this year, money normally earmarked for the BBBAA.
Under the former agreement, which expired at the close of 2022, the Town gave the organization a $37,000 annual operating grant.
Council was divided earlier this year on whether to give the BBBAA a boost of $13,000 on top of the $37,000 to match the previous years funding, which had been boosted because of Covid measures.
Councillors Hayden, Nancy Burke, and Ralph Carey voted in favour of granting the increase, while councillors Gerard Dunne, Alex Troake, Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard, and Mayor Trevor Croft had voted against it.
At the time, Troake had noted the MOU between the Town and the BBBAA was set to expire in 2022 and that it may be time to reconsider how the town funds recreation in the region.
