Barrie councillors are establishing a theatre reserve in 2022 to be used for future theatre capital requirements, with an annual contribution of $2.5 million from the re-investment reserve. It would be capped at $15 million.
Coun. Jim Harris said it was to have something “tangible, meaningful, and inspirational, aspirational, for our city” to plan for and invest in should there be an opportunity for a new theatre.
“It’s still part of a long-term vision for the downtown. The funding for this was already allocated…(the theatre reserve is) making sure we don’t lose what we had already planned for the downtown.”
In December, city council approved a motion that included demolishing the old Fisher Auditorium, and put plans for a new theatre and conference centre on hold for 12 months, or when there’s COVID-19 recovery allowing market conditions to improve to the point that its business case can be updated and assessed.
The city’s re-investment reserve contains an uncommitted balance of $11.5 million and some of that money was earmarked for the Fisher project before it was shelved.
The theatre reserve was to be established this year, and the $2.5 million contributed, but Coun. Mike McCann said it wouldn’t look good this year and suggested beginning in 2022.
“Perception is reality sometimes,” McCann said. “But optics of the pandemic and moving money around and I’d hate to see the newspapers grab this one part of the budget and say that city council is putting $2.5 million into a fund for a new theatre. Not staying they would, but I’d hate to see that happen.
“I think it’s semantics. Whether we keep it in this fund or we have a separate fund, I don’t really see the difference. As a council, we can move it around, a bit of a shell game. I understand your (Harris’s) intention, I’m all for it, I’m just trying to plan for the worst, hope for the best,” he said.
“If some reporter wanted to pull this story, then make us look like we’ve got egg on our face, in my opinion (this) could be a perfect opportunity.”
Coun. Robert Thomson said he disagreed with McCann.
“As an optic, I think if any reporter picked this up when we’re going to move a 0.92 (per cent increase to the) tax levy to our residents, and they choose to write about allocating Barrie Hydro (which feeds the re-investment reserve) funds to the theatre, I would be very surprised. But I just couldn’t see a reporter or any media outlet not talking about that.”
BarrieToday published a story on the proposed property tax increase on Jan. 20. The 0.92 per cent increase this year, or another $40.45 on a typical house assessed at $367,550, bringing taxes on that property to $4,494.45 this year from $4,454 in 2020.
“It is possible to report on the lowest tax increase in 16-plus years and also say that there was a theatre expenditure,” said Coun. Sergio Morales.
“Good decisions are good decisions, regardless of the optics,” said Mayor Jeff Lehman. “What’s on the floor now is to start earmarking money in 2022, but there isn’t even a project yet, so I think the reality is unless you are fully tapping that reserve or spending it elsewhere, this doesn’t have any fiscal impact.
“I understand it may not always be the politically wise thing to do, but optics should always take a back seat to what the smart or right fiscal decision is," he added.
The motion to establish a theatre reserve in 2022, to be used for future theatre capital requirements, with an annual contribution of $2.5 million from the re-investment reserve to be capped at $15 million, passed unanimously.
City council will consider final approval of the motion at its Jan. 25 meeting.
