1. Why is amount to be authorized so much more than the budgeted need?
This is the RDN’s standard procedure for funding by-laws and it is done to avoid the need to keep asking voters for inflation increases. The Gabriola Recreation Society referendum approved up to $235,000, but the society has never used more than $102,000.
2. What is to stop GERTIE from increasing up to the maximum?
GERTIE will continue to be managed by volunteers (the Gabriola Community Bus Foundation) and the GCBF will hold an Annual General Meeting at which funding for the following year will be discussed. Any increase to the budget will have to be approved at that meeting and any Gabriola resident attending the meeting will be able to vote. The budget will then go to the RDN board and they will vote on whether or not to allow the increase.
The Gertie team does not expect to be asking for any increase (similar to the Recreation Society).