Few organizations’ wishes granted due to tight Salmon Arm budget

With a large increase in policing costs in the City of Salmon Arm’s 2022 budget, little room remained for the additional requests that individuals and organizations make.

Called ‘specific referrals’ in the Salmon Arm budget, it’s not unusual for many requests to go unfulfilled. However, the 2022 budget saw fewer approved than usual – just five of 22.

The Salmon Arm Minor Baseball Association, with several requests totalling $1.2 million relating to city fields and supporting infrastructure, saw improvements only to Blackburn Park Ball Diamond #1. A total of $130,000 was approved in the parks capital budget.

The BC SPCA was approved for $12,000 in operational funding. Also for operational funding, the Salmon Arm Citizens Patrol received $5,000.

Another expenditure approved was $60,000 to support the city’s application for the 2024 55+BC Games. If the city is not successful, the money will be returned.

Downtown Salmon Arm (DSA) requested a total of $60,400 for a variety of uses downtown. The city approved $18,300 to increase the service level of the street-sweeping contract with the Shuswap Association for Community Living.

DSA’s other asks that weren’t approved included $13,450 for additional cleaning of the Ross Street Plaza washrooms and $12,200 for snow removal at crosswalks and garbage receptacles.

Some of the 17 separate requests that weren’t approved included $109,000 for a climate action coordinator on a one-year contract basis requested by Shuswap Climate Action and Salmon Arm Ecumenical KAIROS Committee. Shuswap Youth Soccer Association’s request for $40,000 for structural and geo-technical engineering of the indoor arena was not approved.

The Salmon Arm Curling Club’s wish for $72,000 for landscaping improvements on 24th and 27th streets NE and 8th Avenue NE, as well as $81,500 for sponsorship and facility use for the Pan-Continental Curling Championship, did not receive the OK.

South Canoe Elementary’s request was also not approved for year-round access to the Marine Peace Park washrooms at a cost of $38,565.

The specific referrals list is currently on the city’s website at www.salmonarm.ca/454/Financial-Plan under “2022 Specific Budget Referral Requests.”

Read more: Taxpayers in Salmon Arm to pay 4% hike mainly due to policing costs

Read more: Covid funding helps Salmon Arm city council reduce tax increase for 2021