Town nixes bass loan request

“It could be a win-win situation,” Gary Rogozinski, chair of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, said Tuesday after learning town council had referred its request for a $50,000 interest-free loan to buy tables and chairs for consideration in the 2004 budget process.
“It’s not thrown out completely, but there’s a chance it will get lost in the shuffle in the 2004 budget process,” he remarked.
“I understand the town’s current money situation, but I’m still disappointed. I won’t stop. I’ll be bringing this up again,” Rogozinski stressed.
He had spoken to council June 9 with a request for interest-free bridge financing in the amount of $50,000-$55,000 that would be paid back in five years.
This money would be used to purchase tables, chairs, and a trailer to store and transport them.
“It was an opportunity I wanted to explore,” Rogozinski said. “We would pay for it, and in the end, the town would own tables and chairs which we, in turn, would get to use for free.”
The push to own tables and chairs has been necessitated by rising operating costs for the FFCBC. Last year, for instance, it cost $10,183 to rent and transport tables and chairs for the week of the tourney.
This year, that’s estimated to cost closer to $11,000.
Rogozinski added a partnership with other tournaments, the town, and the Rainy River Future Development Corp. could benefit the whole district.
Council had agreed June 9 to refer the request to the Community Services and Administration and Finance executive committees for their recommendations.
A report from these committees came back recommending the full amount requested by the FFCBC had to be declined, but that the town would earmark $5,000 towards tables and chairs in the 2004 budget process—far less than the $50,000 interest-free loan requested.
Council on Monday also directed the bass committee to apply to the Trillium Foundation for funding to cover the balance of the cost of the tables and chairs.
(Fort Frances Times)