"I'm very impressed."
Those were Coun. Corinne Lonsdale's words after Tourism Squamish's budget explanation and reduced funding request during Tuesday's (Feb. 22) Committee of the Whole meeting.
Tourism Squamish president Toran Savjord and Lesley Weeks, manager of tourism marketing and development, presented a detailed account of the organization's revenues, expenditures and plans.
The $52,000 of unspent money from the 2010 budget was carried forward and inserted into Tourism Squamish's 2011 revenue - a move that Lonsdale praised.
"This is the first time in my time on council that an entity has shown a profit from one year and carried it forward into the next year's revenue, which made the ask $52,000 less," she said. "Other entities do have profits, but they come looking for the same amount."
As a new independent entity this year (previously part of the Squamish Sustainability Corp.), Tourism Squamish is asking for $84,000 in support from the district, less than the organization has assumed it would be seeking as part of its five-year strategy.
"We've looked at a five-year plan that would help Tourism Squamish ask for less from the district as a partner," said Savjord.
"We come to you this year with the ask, but looking at the fact that we're weaning ourselves off every year."
The five-year strategy, originally presented to council last spring, suggested Tourism Squamish would request $100,000 from the district for years one and two, $75,000 in year three and $50,000 in years four and five.
Savjord said Tourism Squamish spent a lot of time in 2010 "learning the ins and outs of being a non-profit society and focusing on the Olympics."
"We're asking for $84,000 in support from the district to be able to complete the plan from last week," said Savjord, referring to Tourism Squamish's clarified mandate - to increase awareness of Squamish as a visitor destination.
"We're extremely excited to have the opportunity to get down to marketing after so many years in a transition period."
Lonsdale wasn't the only councillor impressed with Tourism Squamish's presentation.
"I look at this as a very positive budget," said Coun. Doug Race. "Especially because in my mind this five-year plan is ahead of schedule.
"I think we're getting good value for the $84,000 and I'm prepared to support that."
Council is set to decide whether to support the funding request during 2011 budget deliberations.
