Members of Morinville’s historical society say they are angry and confused by council’s proposal to cut the town’s museum budget by 10 per cent.
Morinville Historical and Cultural Society members Murray Knight and Andre Noel spoke at the Feb. 15 committee of the whole meeting about the 2022 town budget.
Town council asked administration to draw up a draft 2022 budget on Feb. 8 based on a 3.5-per-cent tax hike and a 10-per-cent cut to the Musée Morinville Museum, which the historical society runs. If approved, this cut would reduce the museum’s budget to $96,300, or slightly below what it was in 2016.
A frustrated Knight told council the society has run the museum on the town’s behalf since 2010 and has seen its budget grow by about two per cent a year ever since, to account for inflation. The group realized the town was in a tight financial situation and offered to return $5,000 of its reserves to the town in October to help. It asked for no increase in the 2022 budget, yet now it faces a cut.
“Our volunteer organization is confused, angry, hurt, [and has a] feeling of disrespect,” said Knight, noting how the group has always had open dialogue with town officials.
“Nobody talked to us [about this].”
Knight said the museum operates on a bare-bones budget and has just one employee (museum co-ordinator Donna Garrett). It is unfair to compare it to the town’s library, as the library pays nothing for rent and utilities (the museum pays $66,000 a year) and considerably more on wages ($532,400 versus $37,000). Those ongoing rent and utility costs mean cutting operating hours would not have a significant effect on the museum’s expenses.
Knight said the museum could survive one year under these cuts using its reserves, but would need a roughly 19-per-cent hike in 2023 to maintain services. He warned this proposed cut could impact the museum’s abilities to support the town’s reconciliation efforts with Alexander.
Knight and Noel said the museum has started or supported many town initiatives, such as the St. Jean Baptiste Day Festival, Canada Day celebrations, and the distribution of free Canada flags to all residents, and has also turned the town’s convent building from an expense to a revenue generator.
Knight asked council to explain why this cut was justified.
Coun. Rebecca Balanko said she proposed this cut as part of an information request and to help address the town’s “terrifying” deficit.
“There was no malice or ill intent in putting that out there,” she said, and it has yet to be approved.
Council supported a motion from Coun. Stephen Dafoe to discuss adding a council representative to the museum’s board as part of its March 22 council meeting. Knight said council used to sit on the museum board years ago but eventually withdrew from it.
The draft budget returns for debate March 8.
