Thunder Bay city council agrees to move nearly $16M to turf facility fund

Thunder Bay's proposed turf facility got a cash injection on Monday night, as city councillors voted to move nearly $16 million into the project's reserve fund.

The project got a major kick, as council agreed to allocate $3 million from the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) over the next three years into the fund, as well as $6.9 million from a one-time contribution from the federal gas tax fund.

Council voted on each section of the proposal, one-by-one, to determine if it agreed with each specific pot of money. Council agreed not to dip into the city's rate stabilization fund.

"To me, pulling from stabilization, Renew Thunder Bay is counter to what those two reserve funds are there to do. Committing the next three years of the new accommodation tax, don't agree with that either," said Coun. Mark Bentz.

Council did agree to pull from the MAT, as well as the federal gas tax funding, an administrative fund worth $148,000 as well as the Renew Thunder Bay fund.

One organization that was spared an ask from council to contribute to the fund is the Community Economic Development Commission. It gets the other half of the MAT funding, which is to be earmarked for tourism.

Asking that group for more money, when the city already designated half of the MAT funds, didn't sit well with Coun. Rebecca Johnson.

"They have seven applications, and another 35 that they are expecting to come in to use the dollars. And now, we're saying no, you can't have it, that's all going into one facility. I don't think that's good planning."

Johnson said the facility will get over $12.5 million as it is. She was opposed to the turf funding in general, noting it should be moved to the budget process, which will start in January. Johnson questioned the city's ability to pay for more projects, in light of declining taxation in the city, as well as an expected reduction in taxes from the local Bombardier plant.

Still, the majority of council agreed to fund the proposed turf facility.

"I'm telling you, I'm coming from a position of the Keynesiantheory of economics where we need to start making investments strategically," said Coun. Shelby Ch'ng."And, it does belong in our strategic plan, and it does belong at this council table, and we should pass this."