ANOTHER $100,000 DECISION?

COUNCIL TO PASS $100.000 GRANT REQUEST?

This request for additional funding would be on top of the already $700,000+ of taxpayer funds that goes to support the Port Theatre already.

A fair question If the City is already providing roughly $700,000 a year plus facility support, why is an additional $100,000 needed for this specific event?

🎙️100,000 TAX DOLLARS

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BEFORE COUNCIL APPROVES THIS REQUEST

Council should define how it will measure the return on taxpayers’ investment before approving the proposed $100,000 grant for Beyond Van Gogh.

Residents are being told this event will generate major economic impact, sustained downtown foot traffic, and broad community benefit. Those are serious claims, and they should come with serious accountability.

Before public money is committed, Council should tell the public exactly what success looks like. Will it be measured by attendance, out-of-town visitors, hotel stays, restaurant and retail activity, discounted ticket uptake, or some combination of those? Who will verify the numbers? What baseline will be used? And when will the results be reported publicly?

Council should also clarify how much of the project’s claimed partner “investment” is actually derived from public funding. Several of the organizations involved already receive substantial public support directly or indirectly. That makes transparency even more important. The public deserves to know how much of the partners’ contribution comes from earned revenue, and how much comes from taxpayer-backed sources.

This is not an argument against arts or tourism. It is an argument for basic accountability. If this is truly a worthwhile public investment, then the return should be clearly defined, independently measured, and publicly reported.

VOICE of NANAIMO