THE way local councils will fund community initiatives could be set for a change with both Armidale and Uralla reviewing their policies.
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At the August meeting Uralla Shire Council raised the issue of how it funded community projects to ensure the system was fair and kept control of the budget.
“There is a lack of policy,” general manager Damien Connor told the meeting.
“Different community groups currently come to us on an ad hoc basis.”
The issue was also at last Monday’s meeting of Armidale Dumaresq Council, with general manager Glenn Wilcox also suggesting a policy for public donations and sponsorship.
Armidale currently has a community grants project in place, but still dealt with the problem of groups asking for money and support throughout the year.
Councillor Colin Gadd said the community grants fund was only $15,000, a figure the Council would have exceeded through allocating the grants and funding ad hoc requests.
Councillor Margaret O’Connor said Council would be unable to support everything it was asked to.
Armidale councillors resolved to discuss the issue and develop a policy before next month’s meeting.
The attitude was the same in Uralla, with its councillors not wanting to set a precedent for which groups get funding and which don’t.
Mr Connor suggested part of the policy was to have groups apply for funding on a yearly basis.
He also suggested establishing a separate pool for sports people and youth.