• Rothesay doesn’t have borrowing authority for its 1/3 share of the proposed new Rothesay Arena and fieldhouse or community centre;
• The Province hasn’t shown any interest in contributing up to $4 million for a provincial “share”, that was requested by Rothesay;
• Rothesay’s application for authority to borrow was set aside by the Municipal Capital Borrowing Board in 2014. The MCBB won’t reconsider Rothesay’s application unless the Town meets certain conditions; and
• Candidates who are promising a new Arena if elected should explain how they intend to pay for this project without the authority to borrow Rothesay’s share and without the Province willing to make its 1/3rd contribution.

 

On June 9th, 2014, the Town of Rothesay went before the province’s Municipal Capital Borrowing Board (MCBB) for approval to borrow for the first phase of a proposed new Rothesay Arena. At the time the provincial Government had not shown any willingness to cough up a requested  $4 million provincial grant that would have been Fredericton’s share of the new Arena. As it turned out Rothesay took provincial support for granted and didn’t get the provincial govt on board before Rothesay went to the Borrowing Board to borrow Rothesay’s share of the cost of a $13 million Rothesay Arena and Fieldhouse project.

Because of this and other reasons outlined in an MCBB decision letter that the Town hasn’t  bothered to make public, Rothesay Still has no authority to borrow the Town’s share of the capital cost of the “New Rothesay Arena”.

So where does this leave the candidates for next month’s municipal elections who are making promises that they are going to deliver a new Arena if elected? – Perhaps in the embarrassing position of promising a pipe dream? Until the town can meet the conditions set out by the MCBB there can be no new Arena.

The biggest hurdle, is the Town’s request for the grant for up to 1/3 of the Arena’s cost from the Provincial Government. But if that was not forthcoming  from the Alward government when Conservative Ted Flemming was Rothesay’s MLA and prominent member of Alward’s Cabinet, then now that Flemming is on the opposition benches Premier Gallant’s Liberal Government has no reason to give his riding, which includes Rothesay, millions for a completely discretionary project when the rest of New Brunswick is being asked to practise severe austerity.

It seems those members of Council who continue to promise this impossible dream just haven’t got that message.

oneRothesay.com have identified Dr. Nancy Grant, a Candidate for Mayor and Candidates for reelection to Council; Miriam Wells, and Matt Alexander, as including the new Arena in their campaign platforms. We’ve yet to see Councillor McGuire’s platform but he is on record as supporting the $13 million expenditure. You can read that in an article from 12014 online by clicking here if you subscribe to the TJ.  And the status of the Arena from the end of December 2015  by clicking here.

In the TJ article from December 30th, Councillor Alexander is quoted as saying, “We’ve been ready to pull the trigger for two years now”. Someone ought to tell Councillor Alexander that he’d be shooting blanks. – Without the provincial funding there is also no Town money and no Arena.

To suggest the town’s share is already on the table does not square with the decision of the Municipal Capital Borrowing Board, in 2014. That Board decision was to put aside Rothesay Council’s request to borrow the cash that would be Rothesay’s share of the Arena project.

So when candidates, who are promising a new Arena, knock on your door you might ask them where they think Rothesay’s money is coming from if there is no authority to borrow it?

For transparency, I appeared before the Municipal Capital Borrowing Board in opposition to Rothesay’s request for borrowing authority in June of 2014. The reasons for my opposition are spelt out in a ten page presentation, click here. onerothesay.com is always interested in your feedback.   email: editor@onerothesay.com