By Pepper Parr
February 22, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
And just what does this mean?
The Sound of Music is a Not for Profit organization with an board that is appointed rather then elected.
The Performing Arts Centre is an arms length from the city organization that uses property owned by the city.
More questions than answers about the joining of forces at this point.
Now that we know who the players are – they seem to be on the same team.
Steve Cussons, no slouch as an entrepreneur He is the Chief for a large printing that makes significant use of technology – does much more than putting ink on paper.
He is remembered for taking several large strips off Rick Goldring when he was running for re-election in 2018.
His involvement with Sound of Music, where he is the Chair is new. The SoM Programming Director is Tammy Fox who is the Executive Director at the Performing Arts Centre.
Quite what “Presented by …” actually means isn’t clear at this point.
Tammy Fox has extensive background as agent and representative for a number of prominent people in the the music and stage performance sector.
Much more to learn about this undertaking. At this point – it seems to have more upside than downside.
The City provides tax-supported funding annually to it (BPAC), and the 2024 budget proposes an operating grant of $1,102,006 and a $63,200 capital contribution for BPAC but the BPAC turned a profit of about $800,000.00 and they were sitting on a surplus of almost $4 million at the end of 2022. 2023 isn’t out yet. What was the outcome of the city mandated governance review? Irregardless, if they are so profitable, that’s a line item we can save in the annual budget to keep that 7%ish property tax increase down a little! Or as taxpayers are we now involuntarily paying for the Sound Of Music Festival by way of the ‘Title Sponsorship’?