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Re: "Council debates service cuts, tax increase" on page 1 of the February 23, 2010 Didsbury Review.

Dear Editor:
At this year’s annual budget meeting council reviewed the services that the Town of Didsbury provides to its residents and surrounding service area and assessed the cost attached to each of these services. With the importance on minimizing the tax burden placed on our residents, council wanted to have an understanding of the actual cost to provide these services and what other alternatives may be available. The possibility of pool closure or a reduction in operating hours was one of the services that received much attention due to the high cost to operate the facility. Part of the reason for this discussion was to bring to light the costs of operating the aquatic centre on a per resident basis so that everyone has a clear understanding of how much of their tax dollars goes into that facility each year. Based on 2009, 11% of your tax dollars was spent on the operations of the aquatic centre. That works out to just over $90 per resident per year.

What council learned is that a reduction in operating hours would provide some financial savings; however, the overall benefit to residents to have a pool in our community is invaluable. The aquatic centre plays an integral part in encouraging healthy activity in our community through both leisure swimming and competitive sport. In addition, the aquatic centre is a key economic magnet for enticing both residential and commercial development in our town.

I want to clarify that council did support the 2010 operating budget for the aquatic centre and will not be closing the facility.

Going forward council has asked for more recommendations on what the town can do to reduce the financial loss the aquatic centre experiences each year. This helps to ensure we operate a top-notch facility in the most efficient manner possible for our residents.

Brian Wittal
Mayor

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