EDITORIAL: Why stop with the Blues?

Editorials

March 10, 2010

Staff Reports The Niagara Gazette Wed Mar 10, 2010, 06:07 PM EST

We are pleased to see that the Niagara Falls City Council has attached a few strings to the $30,000 allocation it approved this week for the 2010 Blues Festival.

Not only was the festival committee required to submit a detailed budget of why the contribution was needed, but receipts and requests for payment must be handed in after the event to ensure all of the public’s money was well spent.

Great idea — but why stop at the Blues Festival?

We think the council should be just as meticulous when it comes to all casino or public funds handed out to festivals, concerts and organizations. After all, if the city is taking the stance that concerts and festivals are a form of economic development, shouldn’t we know how much bang we are getting for our casino cash buck?

In 2009, the city doled out more than $200,000 for events and concerts, but final receipts weren’t collected from everyone so there’s no way of knowing how each dollar was spent.

City Controller Maria Brown said the city does require a budget or financial outline from those requesting money prior to acceptance. Before a vote is taken, the law department and controller also complete a review to determine if everything is in order.

But there’s no required follow-up in place once the festival or concerts are over.

“Some of them get the money and I never see them again,” Brown said, adding she has encouraged the council to require receipts detailing actual costs. “Everyone should be providing us with financials so we can see how the money was spent. I would love to see receipts.”

Brown noted that some event committees and organizations have been more accountable than others and have submitted receipts and invoices to her department. However, in other cases, the city has no idea if its entire contribution was spent on the event or if there’s a surplus sitting somewhere in a bank account.

Council Chairman Samuel Fruscione said he believes the city is keeping a close watch on every check it hands out. When requests for money come in with “vague” spending plans, that’s when more scrutiny is needed before and after the event, he added.

However, Fruscione conceded the city could do a better job requesting actual receipts from some beneficiaries and auditing how the public’s money is being spent.

In our opinion, the more strings attached the better.

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