Council has to avoid mixed messages on new arts centre

THURSDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — City council will have to be careful about not giving mixed messages on the proposed performing arts centre.

While a new concert hall — the term some people prefer — is desirable, it will take political will and money.

At this week’s budget session, some councillors sounded reluctant to invest in initial studies for a new centre because a site hasn’t yet been identified. One suggestion was that study funding be split — some now, some later.

There are likely two reasons for this display of caution. One is that not everybody wants to spend tax dollars on such a facility. While the issue might eventually have to be put to a referendum, everyone on council including the mayor has long taken the position that we have to go slow and easy because of the multi-million-dollar price tag.

But there’s also the fact that come Nov. 15, Kamloops voters will be picking a new City council, and this is the time incumbents and newbies alike feel obligated to be stingy when talking about expenditures.

There might be a good sign in this, though. During initial stages of discussion around a new performing arts centre, one line of thinking was that a location need not — even should not — be identified before the public is asked to approve it.

If that idea were to prevail it would be fatal to the project. People won’t vote for something not knowing enough about it — and location is a key part of the discussion about the facility.

It sounds as if staff is moving toward finding a potential location, and that’s good. Even if the centre isn’t built for awhile, reserving the land is the smart way to go.

In the meantime, though, council can’t be too tight-fisted. Maybe they’ll get some guidance from the public meeting on the budget Feb. 25, but let’s hope they free up enough money to keep things moving.