To the Editor:
My decision to resign immediately was caused by the way in which the RDOS and elected officials handled this issue and the way in which the Rec Commission was pushed into voting with little or no warning. A distinct disregarding for normal rules and a total lack of respect for members who have put in a lot of volunteer hours for a no-win situation. If the Recreation Commission is advisory only and are not involved in staffing decisions, then why were they forced to vote on this when in 2017 the Commission fully supported the current operations.
For the record, I cannot recall any constructive involvement by the RDOS or elected officials in the operations of the facilities.
I wish to set the record straight with a few comments.
Firstly, I took over the Recreation Centre 27 years ago with a mandate to run it as cheaply as possible and have done that.
Secondly, with the passage of time, the public requirements may have changed but the facilities have not nor has the budget.
Thirdly, at every budget that I presented to the Recreation Commission for consideration, I included the statement “the budget is presented based on current levels of service and any additional services must be costed and added to the budget.” No funding (taxes) were added to accommodate programs etc.
Programs can be valuable, but they require funding, a facility and staff. To this date no one has ever presented a list of required and funded programs.
A correction regarding succession.
The plan would have seen a local candidate paid with local taxes and who has some knowledge of the operations. I would have worked a few days a week for a year or so. All at no additional cost to current levels of staff wages.
The decision to resign was difficult to make since I enjoyed overcoming the challenges of the position and the staff who have helped make the seasons successful.
Karl Donoghue
former facility manager,
Similkameen Recreation Centre