Moment with the Mayor: Are We Wealthy Enough?

Hi Neighbours:

We need to have a serious conversation about how much we can afford for a pool. You may be wondering why I am suggesting this so let me run some numbers past you.

As a base point, let’s assume $27.7 million for an indoor pool as suggested in the Phase 2 report. According to the 2011 Census, Kindersley’s population is 4,678. According to the 2013 health card count, we have 5,400 people. Finally, there are 2,083 dwellings in Kindersley.

Based on this data, here are some fundraising numbers we are looking at to build an indoor pool:

·         Census: every man, woman, and child pays $5,921.33

·         Health cards: every man, woman, and child pays $5,129.63

·         Dwelling: every dwelling in Kindersley pays $13,298.13.

As part of a fundraising campaign, prosperous businesses and individuals would have to be approached for significant donations (a best practice), including naming rights. Can you name 10 -15 businesses and individuals willing to donate more than $500,000? We are a wealthy community but are we wealthy enough?

As you can see, an indoor pool is a significant expense, and we haven’t included the operational expenses yet. Just to operate the indoor pool, your property taxes would have to increase 3.13% next year.

Unity is spending $1.3 million on an outdoor pool that is 5 lanes wide, less than 25 metres in length with a beach entry. What if we spent $2 - $3 million on a very good outdoor pool? The fundraising would be easier and the operations would be in the neighbourhood of the old aquatic centre.

Recently, we had a meeting with the SK Municipal Board (SMB). The SMB has to approve all Town borrowing. Given that we need to come up with some significant money for a sewage lagoon, landfill, and fire hall, and SMB has indicated that they base their approvals on hard infrastructure (utilities, safety, etc.), I am not convinced that we would get approval despite our plans. The issue is sustainability - we can only afford so much. Let me know your thoughts.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.