Coun. Keenan Aylwin wants the money fund-raised for the Heart Barrie landmark sign followed a little closer.
“I have serious concerns about where the additional money is going,” he said. “We need to be transparent with the public about this.”
Coun. Mike McCann, who fund-raised the sign’s $200,000 cost, has disputed a May 30, 2022 city memo that lists a dozen $20,000 sponsors, 11 at $10,000 and five at $5,000, which totals $375,000, toward the sign, which is to be located in Heritage Park by July 1.
McCann said the total among that has been fund-raised is closer to $300,000, but some is in-kind donations, for media or administration.
Any money raised on top of the $200,000 for the sign, where no donation receipts have been issued, are to be given to save the beaver and save the turtle programs in the city.
McCann has not said how much of the donated money would go toward saving beavers and turtles, or exactly how much money was left, after the sign was financed.
The Ward 10 councillor has said not all sponsorship money had been collected, that it was still being collected.
He has not explained why money is still being collected when the $200,000 for the sign was already raised.
And Aylwin, the councillor for the downtown where Heritage Park is located, has other questions.
“I also have concerns that the list of donors includes developers with active planning applications being considered by the city,” he said. “We need to ensure that the integrity of our planning process is protected. Even just the appearance of corporate interests buying influence is very concerning to me.
“I will be asking some more questions of our staff to ensure we are as accountable and transparent as possible," Aylwin added.
McCann said Monday night that he hired a professional accounting firm that’s preparing a spread sheet to show money in and money out, which he will be sharing with the city’s finance department once all sign donations are collected.
“I firmly believe in full transparency,” he said.
The sign will be located in Heritage Park, directly on the entry axis to the downtown waterfront park, as people come across Simcoe Street from Meridian Place. Council has added $15,000 to the city’s operations department budget, beginning this year, to cover costs of potential graffiti removal and winter maintenance on and around the sign.
The project’s working group members have agreed the sign should be the city’s logo with the heart. Also that the size of the heart should be increased from eight to 10 feet, which council approved. By making the heart that height a person as tall as six feet can fit inside the heart for photos.
McCann has said this project is intended to unite Barrie — to help businesses by driving residents and visitors to the downtown and have them celebrate the city by being photographed with the landmark sign.
