The City of North Battleford in on board with a $2,500 contribution towards the 25th anniversary of the Battlefords Business Excellence Awards happening Oct. 2.
However, the decision could not have been any closer. The donation passed by only a 4-3 margin.
Mayor Ryan Bater was among those who voted against, expressing concerns that “it sets a precedent.”
“This opens up the door to a lot of other organizations to request funding,” said Bater. He felt supporting a reception was “not an appropriate use of taxpayer funds.”
Councillors Greg Lightfoot and Len Taylor also voted against the request.
Lightfoot pointed out that after the City was “slammed” by provincial funding cutbacks, they had sought the Chamber’s support in trying to reverse the government’s decision.
“They came back to us telling us to get our house in order,” said Lightfoot. “Maybe this is one way that we keep our house in order.”
The rest of council had less qualms about the donation. Councillor Kelli Hawtin had moved the motion in favour, saying it was a “good opportunity to be part of a milestone celebration for our Chamber of Commerce.”
