St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold says it is time to take a look at the mandate of the Creative County Fund committee.
Earlier this year, the group which is a committee of council tasked with handing out money to cultural events in the region, raised a few eyebrows when it accepted money from Suncor Energy. It was part of the company’s commitment to support community projects around its Cedar Point Wind Energy Project, which the county and many of its municipalities opposed. The committee reviewed its actions after council complained but decided not to change the way it accepts grants.
Arnold told councillors the group was “not accountable to the county… They are very much so. They are in existence only at the whim of this council.”
Sarnia City/County Councillor Bev MacDougall who chaired the group, says the intention is not to allow political interference in the grants. “We have no intention of disrespecting county council.”
But councillors approved the idea of reviewing the Creative County Funds mandate and how it accepts money from outside sources. It’s not clear when that report will come to council.