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Seniors' club posts second annual loss

The St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club has posted its second annual loss, with a deficit last year of more than $55,000, just as the club is gearing up to replace its aging building.

The St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club has posted its second annual loss, with a deficit last year of more than $55,000, just as the club is gearing up to replace its aging building.

The club posted a loss of $55,878 in 2009 according to the financial statements presented at the group’s annual general meeting Friday. This comes on top of a $37,440 loss in 2008.

The club is funded through membership dues, extensive fundraising and grants from both the City of St. Albert and the provincial government.

St. Albert provided a $91,586 contribution, which was strictly for club operations with a further $61,500 provided to allow the club to run the Meals on Wheels program.

The club is also hoping to break ground next year on a replacement for their aging building, which is in need of major repairs.

Executive Director Leslie MacEachern said the club is facing lower grant totals and rising cost to maintain the centre.

“It is a combination. The revenues specifically related to the provincial grant system have really left us in a bind in past years,” she said. “This building is literally falling apart and there are repair costs and that is something the city is really helping us out with.”

According to the financial statements, the club took in $219,756 in grants, down from $231,282 last year, but the group’s fundraising, program fees and membership fees all brought in more.

Expenses at the club were up almost $60,000, with higher costs for maintaining the building, salaries and programs over 2008.

Mayor Nolan Crouse said the city would leave the financial issues to the seniors’ club to resolve.

“It is just like any other agency that operates at arm’s length; we have to hope that they can find ways to raise revenues or cut expenditures.”

Membership fees for the club will rise $2.50 next year to $52.50 a year. MacEachern said they are also working hard to bring more people into the club.

“We are going on a huge membership drive and we have been seeing an increase. [Memberships] are up 20 per cent since last September.”

Club member Bob Russell, who earlier raised concerns about recent changes to the board’s bylaws, said he wanted to see the board toughen up on spending to help keep the book’s balanced.

“I am a believer in zero budgeting,” he said. “Especially in non-profits you really have to have a balanced budget.”

MacEachern said she hopes the group will be able to break ground on a new building by next spring and when the time comes the club will be ready to contribute.

“We are going to start a capital campaign like this city has never seen before,” she said. “We have a lot of ducks in a row that we are ready to get on when we get under way.”

The city is currently reviewing plans for the proposed new building and looking at how the future centre might be operated.

Crouse said, without knowing how the centre’s operations will be funded, it is too early to start worrying about capital contributions.

“You don’t want to start talking about capital until you know how you are going to fund the operations.”

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