Municipal council will have some tough decisions to make when it begins budget deliberations Nov. 28 and 29.
The library, museum and Victim Services are all looking for council鈥檚 help to improve services and balance their 2017 budgets.
Each group presented its budget to council during a committee-of-the-whole meeting, Nov. 22.
Budget deliberations begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers (downstairs) at the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre.
Library seeks $25,000
The Jasper Municipal Library would like an additional $25,000 in 2017 in order to pay for more staffing hours, cover a 3.25-per-cent pay increase and provide its staff with the same benefit package other municipal employees currently enjoy.
鈥淲e have a responsibility to serve the community and our visitors and to provide programs for all ages,鈥� said Dale Karpluk, chairperson for the Jasper Municipal Library board.
鈥淭o do this it requires adequate and efficient staffing.鈥�
According to Karpluk, the $25,000 request would help retain existing staff and allow the library to add 17 hours of additional staff time per week. The library currently has four part-time employees.
鈥淭he 17 hours would be additional staff time within our hours of operation,鈥� said Angie Thom, director of library services.
鈥淚t would bump up coverage so that there鈥檚 always two people in.鈥�
If council grants the $25,000 funding request the library is still projecting a $5,500 budget deficit in 2017.
On a positive note, Sandy Cox, secretary of the board, said the number of daily visitors has doubled since the new building opened in June.
From Jan. 1 to May 27, when the library was located at its temporary location, the library averaged 1,235 visitors per month. From July 1 to Oct. 31, the library averaged 2,767 visitors per month.
On top of this, the library added 330 new memberships, 245 of which became members since June 29 when the library opened.
Despite the rosy numbers, Cox said the library still has a ways to go to return to its peak head count in 2010, the year before it moved to its temporary home.
With visitation on the rise, several councillors asked why they library wasn鈥檛 projecting a significant increase in revenue generated from membership fees.
In response, Thom said that the majority of memberships are essentially free because only adults pay. Membership is free for seniors, 65 and older and children who are under the age of 18 and go to school in town.
She also cautioned that revenue from membership fees, which it projects will generate about $6,500 next year, is not guaranteed in the years ahead.
鈥淎lberta and Quebec are the only two provinces where it鈥檚 still legal to charge for library memberships. The trend across North America is to offer free public library memberships. What we鈥檙e seeing in Alberta is that is a growing trend, Edmonton and Calgary have already gone that way,鈥� said Thom.
鈥淐hange is coming.鈥�
The Jasper Municipal Library will present its budget during budget deliberations on Nov. 29.
Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives seeks $49,000
The Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives intends to return to a balanced budget in 2017, albeit with the help of the municipality to the tune of $49,000.
The non-profit group has been struggling to get its books in order, recording a series of budget deficits over the past few years.
According to its budget projections, the museum will record a $36,000 deficit ending in December 2016, before returning to a small surplus in 2017.
鈥淭his last year was not a great year financially, extra maintenance costs for our alarm system and an unexpected GST bill of $5,000 set us back considerably,鈥� said Warren Waxer, president of the Yellowhead Historical Society.
He said the museum intends to cover this year鈥檚 loss by pulling funds from the historical society鈥檚 reserve.
In addition to presenting its three-year business plan, which council had requested in the spring before releasing $49,000 in funding, the museum also presented a three-year budget.
鈥淲e like to think we were conservative on our revenue projections and somewhat pessimistic on our expenses,鈥� said Waxer.
In order to turn things around the museum intends to cut its payroll next year by about $22,000 and trim other expenses, such as advertising.
鈥淭here was a review of all positions and as result there鈥檚 been some rearranging and job reductions,鈥� said Waxer.
For example, the museum鈥檚 manager will go from five days a week to three days a week, while the collections manager will be reduced from four days a week to three days a week.
On the revenue side, the museum hopes to cash in on a $28,000 grant it lost last year from the Alberta Museum Association. The museum has included the grant in its 2018 and 2019 budget projections.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a recognition that there鈥檚 a great reduction in the grants that are available to us and new fundraising venues have to be explored,鈥� said Waxer.
One of those events includes hosting a casino fundraiser at Century Casino in St. Albert on Feb. 20 and 21, 2017.
According Waxer, the museum hopes to generate between $12,000 and $15,000 after expenses.
While fundraisers are an important revenue generator Waxer acknowledged the museum will also need to work with the private sector if they want to balance the books.
鈥淲e keep looking for savings on expenses and to increase revenue, but most importantly we have to search out partnerships, sponsorships and donations from all levels of businesses associated with Jasper and Jasper tourism,鈥� said Waxer.
In addition to seeking new sources of revenue, the museum has also begun to look at the feasibility of relocating and the future of its adjacent lot.
The museum will present its budget during budget deliberations on Nov. 29.
Jasper Victims Services seeks nearly $12,000
Jasper Victim Services would like the municipality to pitch in nearly $12,000 so it can continue to provide support to victims of crime and trauma next year.
The non-profit organization currently receives the bulk of its money from Alberta鈥檚 Victims of Crime Fund, however that money can only be used to pay for salaries and administrative costs. Money provided by the municipality and from fundraisers goes directly to helping victims.
鈥淚n Jasper that鈥檚 very often a hotel room and a bus ticket to get to a shelter in Edmonton or Kamloops,鈥� said Paul Schmidt, the聽Jasper聽Victim Services聽coordinator.
According to Schmidt, the cost to help victims fluctuates every year, but on average it costs about $15,000 a year.
In addition to government funding, the organization also raises about $25,000 every year through fundraisers, with the majority of the money raised through its charity golf tournament in September.
Schmidt said he is also currently applying for a $15,000 grant in order to add an additional part-time position to cover on-call duties on weekends.
If he is successful with his application, he hopes to create a paid position called a victim support worker that would be divided between different advocates in town. There are currently 11 advocates in Jasper that are on-call, 365 days a year, however Schmidt still deals with the vast majority of the calls.
鈥淭here have been very few times when I鈥檓 not on-call,鈥� said Schmidt, explaining over the past eight years he鈥檚 clocked an average of 500 on-call hours every month.
鈥淚 enjoy the work that I do, I find it very gratifying and I鈥檓 not trying to back away from it, but I am trying to also keep a balance and a commitment to my family.鈥�
According to Schmidt, as of Oct. 1 Victim Services had 132 files, slightly more than the total number of files last year.
Jasper Victim Services will present its budget during budget deliberations on Nov. 28.
Paul Clarke
[email protected]
