Strathmore Town Council heard from over a dozen local community groups requesting funding for 2025.
The meeting took place on Wednesday (Oct. 23), and included asks from the following organizations:
- Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS).
- Badlands Search and Rescue Association.
- Kakato'si Kristian Ayoungman Foundation.
- Communities in Bloom Society.
- Strathmore Overnight Shelter Society.
- Strathmore & District Agricultural Society.
- True North Society.
- Wheatland Society of Arts.
- Strathmore Youth Theatre Program.
- Strathmore Performing Arts Festival.
- Mainsprings Pregnancy and Family Support Association.
- The Strathmore & Wheatland County Christmas Hamper Society.
- Strathmore Municipal Library Board.
- Community Mediation Calgary Society.
- Royal Canadian Legion Strathmore Branch #10.
- Happy Cat Sanctuary.
Funding requests varied from as low as $5,000 to over $425,000, with each organization giving their reasons for the funding throughout the two-hour meeting.
The Strathmore Youth Theatre Company is looking for $5,000 in funding that would go towards offsetting the costs of putting on two productions throughout the year.
"We are going to be at a deficit," said Chelsea Hall, board president of the company. "We are charging ticket prices to come see the show, but $15,000 is a lot of money that we're using."
The largest funding request is from the Strathmore Municipal Library as they put forth an ask for $425,698 which would go towards staffing, managing increasing costs, and implementing a self-checkout system.
Last year the library requested $377,000 and received $341,251 from the town.
Town council began allowing community groups to make funding requests before budget deliberations in 2022. Although none of these requests were approved or denied, members of council will be discussing the 2025 Budget on November 19, 21, and 27.
The 2025 operating and capital budget are scheduled to be approved by December 4.