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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2014
Proudly serving Houston and District - Home of Canada’s Largest Fly Rod
www.houston-today.com
NO. 01 $1.30 Inc. GST
Library to use grant writer By Jackie Lieuwen Houston Today
RIDING into the New Year
Photo submitted
Triumph and Sensation, “Jaspers Clydsdales,” took the Houston Christian School grade 5 and 6 class on a sleigh ride around the Jasper farm in Topley. Teacher John Seibenga and Evert Jaspers led the horses while dog Texas ran alongside.
The District of Houston Grant Writer Valerie Anderson will help the Library apply for funding. The Houston Public Library asked council for a nine percent increase, $9,500, in their annual Grant for Assistance from the District of Houston. The Library ran a deficit budget of $10,672 in 2013, with total income of $152,202 and total costs of $162,874. Over 70 per cent of their budget, $105,500, came from the District of Houston grant, Director of Finance William Wallace reported to council on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Over the past four years, the Library hasn’t asked for any increases, so the increases can be viewed as a catch-up, Wallace wrote in his report. “The Library’s need for increased support appears reasonable and is primarily connected with higher staffing costs,” he said. Council declined the requested increase at this time, opting to revisit it in March during their next budget meeting. “We’ve got to start cutting,” said Councillor Rick Lundrigan. “It’s a tough decision, it’s a valuable thing in our community, but is it the wisest
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“We’ve got to start cutting.”
- Houston Councillor Rick Lundrigan
way to spend the money? At the end of the day we need to start making our choices. I think this is one of them where we should at least consider not giving them the full amount they requested,” he said. C o u n c i l l o r Michalle Jolly agreed. “We do have to start making cuts, but I think that the Library is rather important. It’s a free facility where people can go to and when times are tough we need to have these kinds of facilities open,” she said. “I see it as one of the public uses that we can’t be cutting at this point,” she said. Councillor Kyle Thomson said he’d rather not give the increase, clarifying that they would not cut Library funding, they just wouldn’t increase their funding. William Wallace, Houston Director of Finance said the funding increase fits into the base 2014 budget, which covers all the projects that need to be done. See COSTS on Page 2
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