Duane Hicks
The town will do away with the corporate rate for gym memberships at the Memorial Sports Centre.
Council unanimously agreed Monday night to lower the age for the senior rate from 65 to 60, lower the senior annual membership fee for residents to $353.30 (a drop of $40 from last year), and to make no change to the family rate.
But in a separate vote, council narrowly rejected the most recently-revised version of the corporate rate, which would have included changing the name to “corporate/business.”
It also would have modified the rate so that a corporation/business with three-nine members will get a 10 percent discount while a corporation/business with 10 or more annual members will get a 15 discount.
After the vote, Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig suggested that if the majority of council doesn’t like the rate, they should do away with it.
Memberships under the corporate rate will end as of June 1, when the new rates come into effect.
Mayor Roy Avis voted against the corporate rate, as did Couns. Doug Kitowski, Ken Perry, and Paul Ryan.
“I’m opposed to corporate rates. I think we should have one rate,” said Mayor Avis, noting everybody should pay the same fair rate.
He added there’s a lot of small businesses in the community with only one or two employees that would not benefit from the corporate rate.
Community Services manager Jason Kabel previously told council that since January, 2013, the town has raised nearly $40,000 ($39,159.84 to be exact) in generated revenue because of the corporate fee structure.
But Coun. Perry noted Monday that council does business on an annual budget basis—and lumping together revenues from more than one year is confusing to the public and members of council.
“There’s no way to lose $40,000 in a year ever because we never made $40,000 in a year ever,” he reasoned.
“And this year, with the membership numbers I’ve been given for the corporate memberships, we’re at about $12,000 and that would probably roll into more if we had those six-month memberships turn into another six-month membership.
“It’s nowhere near $40,000 ever,” Coun. Perry stressed. “That’s just a total accumulation, and we don’t deal with that at this table.
“We deal with one year after the other.”
Coun. Perry also said there’s no guarantee those with corporate memberships will not continue to be gym members in the future if the corporate rate no longer is offered.
“I believe there should be no discount,” echoed Coun. Kitowski, adding he’s got nothing personal against Kabel.
On the other hand, Couns. John Albanese, Wendy Brunetta, and June Caul voted in favour of the corporate rate.
“We’ve gone around and around the table with regard to user fees at the Sportsplex,” Coun. Caul said before the vote.
“I believe the suggestion before us tonight is a win-win answer.
“We have reduced and simplified the corporate user fee to one that is hopefully positively accepted by those who have benefitted in the past,” she remarked.
“It gives more opportunity to all businesses and corporations.”
Coun. Caul added it was her idea to change to the title to “corporate/business” so it would be more welcoming to users who might not consider themselves to be a corporation.
“I believe they all can benefit from the facilities offered and it creates some added revenue for the town,” she reasoned.
“I believe this presents more user-friendly opportunities to everybody with fair rates already offered at a very important service this town provides.”
Coun. Brunetta agreed, noting every community in Northwestern Ontario has a corporate rate.
“It’s not like it’s something we’re doing that’s different from anyone else,” she noted. “It’s purely meant to generate membership.
“Membership increases revenue and decreases the burden on the taxpayers.”
Coun. Albanese also said council should support Kabel and “not micromanage the managers.”
“We’ve spent a lot of time on this issue. It’s time to put it to bed,” he stressed.
Kabel told council he’s “not married to the corporate membership structure,” but “it is a program you’ve generated revenue with.”
“It’s lowered the burden on taxpayers by having this in place,” he noted. “I think that’s undeniable.
“But again, if it’s decided tonight that we don’t need it anymore, then I’m to come to work tomorrow with a smile on my face and do the best job I can do.”
In regards to the small business ineligibility mentioned by Mayor Avis, Kabel said that perhaps the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce or BIA could serve as the lead organization for businesses that have fewer than three employees and offer corporate/business memberships as a benefit of being a member.
The idea was pitched to Chamber manager Annely Armstrong-Thorstad, and she thought it was a great one.
But later in the evening, council voted 4-3 against the proposed corporate fee structure and then opted to cut it altogether.
