The way Red Deer County funds some community programs should be changed, said a county councillor on Tuesday.
Coun. Dave Hoar said he would like to see the county have more control over the almost $520,000 that goes into nearly three dozen programs funded through Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).
Hoar said he would like to see about $320,000 of the funding distributed throughout the county using the same ratios used by the municipality to determine recreational funding.
Sylvan Lake and Innisfail would also be added to the FCSS partnership and would get $42,000 and $70,000 respectively.
Under the current system, the money is doled out by a 12-member board, on which the county has two seats.
“So we are not in control over the spending of our funds,” said Hoar.
FCSS is a partnership between local municipal governments and the province. The partnership provides provincial funding that is matched with local tax dollars on an 80/20 basis, with the county providing just over $100,000. The funding supports locally driven preventive social services initiatives, such as district community workers, Meals on Wheels and the Boys and Girls Club.
The issue came up because council was considering whether to extend the current three-year FCSS agreement, which ends next year, to 2017.
Council voted to defer a decision until Hoar’s suggestion could be discussed. Coun. Philip Massier was opposed.