KAMLOOPS — The city’s 2016 Parks, Recreation & Culture report, released this week at City Hall, is pointing to some areas in the department that have growing expenses, making it more difficult to balance the budget.
Visits to places like the Tournament Capital Centre sit at around 2,100 every day, which is helping to keep revenues steady for the department.
“Overall, we’re doing really well here,” says Director of Kamloops Parks & Rec Byron McCorkell. “But now you’re seeing our revenues start to level off, so our expense side becomes more and more of a concern.”
Revenue coming into the TCC has been a little more than $3 million over the last three years. But expenses in 2016 jumped to $3.95 million, leading to a lower cost recovery at 77%.
It also led to a 5% rate increase in 2017 to offset some of the rising costs.
“Fees and charges basically heat and power water, and the staff to maintain. Last year, we implemented a fee increase, so you’ll see that roll in to try and accommodate. The heat went up, the power went up, staffing contracts went up, so we have to accommodate.”
Also part of the 2016 annual report, cemeteries in Kamloops seeing a drop in its cost recovery rate, going from 96% in 2014 to 77% last year, meaning a taxpayer bill of more than $86,000.
“We have a core group of people there to maintain the grass and headstones the upkeep of a cemetery,” notes McCorkell. “People are staying around longer, that’s great. But in terms of the business, it does cause us some impacts here and there with our revenue projections.”
Cost recovery at arenas around Kamloops are also down from 71% last year to 60% this year, making for nearly $1.8 million in taxpayer money.
It has led to the same 5% fee increase to people using the rinks. The next challenge for the city is keeping up with the demand for ice, particularly after the ice box closed down in 2015.
“We were down a rink before we were down a rink, so now we’re down two technically,” says McCorkell. “We’ve got six, so we’re working, we’re talking with KIB to see whether the band is willing to maybe do something over there.”
