The City of Dauphin has responded to the recently announced funding cuts by the RM of Dauphin.
The City was dismayed by the news from the Rural Municipality (RM) of Dauphin issued last week, stating they were terminating their participation in the Dauphin Recreation Services (DRS) Agreement at the end of 2024.
DRS has been funded in partnership between the city and the RM under a per capita model until 2017 when RM moved to a grant-based model.
The City's release today notes that the 2017 change in fund structure created a gap of roughly $800,000 to date.
Mayor David Bosiak is concerned about how this will affect the services provided at the DRS.
"Taking 15% or so, $300,000, and change out of the mix means that there could be some increases in charges, there may be some changes in how facilities are operated, there may be some additional surcharges we may need to apply to non-City of Dauphin residents"
There have been 6 months of notice for the city to sort out a plan moving forward, or return to negotiation, but Bosiak is less than optimistic about the latter option.
We didn't say we didn't want to talk about it anymore, we said come to the table at 22%, which was the original agreement, and we will work with you for as long as it takes to iron out any issues you might have about Rec Services... they chose to say no 3 times."
The release also states that The City is committed to maintaining the quality of recreation in Dauphin, noting the Parkland Rec Complex and surrounding facilities act as a central hub for community activity for everyone in, and around the area.
There is no certainty that an agreement will be reached between the RM and the City, so contingencies will be put in place for the end of this year.
