Fairbanks City Council gives $10,000 to Yukon Quest
Published Tuesday, December 16, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Yukon Quest officials walked away with $10,000 from the city budget Monday after making a plea before council members for additional funding.
That’s half the amount they were hoping to receive from the bed tax committee, which designates a portion of hotel tax revenue to the organization.
The first hour of Monday’s Fairbanks City Council meeting was filled with testimony from Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race supporters and officials, including champion Lance Mackey, who asked the council to reconsider the Quest’s application for a bed tax grant, after it was denied last week for being turned in more than 30 days past the deadline.
Quest Board of Directors President Andy Anger explained that while the Quest does not face cancellation, bed tax funding formed a critical component to the Quest’s 2009 operating budget, according to a letter to Mayor Terry Strle and the council dated Monday.
“Losing any form of funding would seriously compromise the Yukon Quest’s ability to organize and host a successful 2009 Yukon Quest,” the letter stated.
While the council did not vote to require the Bed Tax Committee to accept the late Quest application, the testimonies had an impact on four out of six policy makers, including Councilman Jerry Cleworth.
During a discussion on the budget, Cleworth asked the council to pull $30,000 in funds from the Fairbanks Economic Development Coalition and designate $10,000 to the Quest organization.
The remaining $20,000 will go to a council discretionary fund to serve as a cushion for unexpected expenses next year.
Councilwoman Vivian Stiver and Emily Bratcher did not support the amendment.
“In a public entity, rules are important,” Stiver said with emotion. “And I have a real thing about fair, and this is not right for every other organization who knew they wouldn’t get their application in by the deadline.”
Bratcher said she wasn’t a believer in setting a precedent that city officials couldn’t hold up to.
“We get elected to make the hard decisions and I’m nervous about giving money right now because it’s an easy decision to make that only focuses on the short-term solution,” Bratcher said. “I’m not a believer in setting a precedent we can’t hold.”
Cleworth’s amendment still passed, but the Bed Tax Committee will not review the application.
“I don’t want to refer this back to the committee,” he said. “The $270,000 is there for the people who applied on time.”
Council member Bernard Gatewood said he thought Cleworth’s proposal was creative.
“It’s a good compromise,” Gatewood said. “The Bed Tax Committee made the right decision. There’s a sense of entitlement in this community that’s rather disturbing, and I hope we don’t have to deal with this again because it might not go as favorable in the future.”
Though Quest officials won’t be receiving the full amount they requested, Executive Director Tania Simpson walked away with some relief, she said following the discussion.
“We have a lot of work to do but $10,000 is better than nothing,” Simpson said.
Community Discussion
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Thanks Jerry, you and the other 3 coulcilmembers did the right thing!
It is unfortunate that the city counsil once again bowed to the pressure that was brought to bare at the meeting. It is even more unfortunate that the Yukon Quest members have so little respect for the other citizens of the community that they felt justified in asking for special consideration.
The primary function of government is to establish justice. Justice means that everyone is treated equally before the law.
The Yukon Quest organization failed to meet an established application deadline and were given 'a second chance' by the counsil that wasn't offered to other who played by the rules.
I just hope that they "do the right thing" the next time that I forget to stop at a stop sign or can't figure out the complex downtown parking rules.
I would also hope that the race judges take into consideration that the only reason that everyone else didn't take first place is that they weren't as prepared as the person who did. They should pay first place prize money to all of the contestants. Especially those who scratch, because they probably need the help the most.
This year marks the beginning of the end for the Quest. Each year the purse keeps getting smaller and smaller now this crap. Why should the top mushers waste their time running the Quest with a tiny purse when the Iditarod is a couple weeks after the Quest and the purse is much much greater?
makes me dislike the quest even more, what a waste of time.
Did anyone ask WHY the application for funds wasn't turned in on time? Has anyone else thought of a plan to fund those events that happen every year automatically and if additional funds are needed, then an application for them would have to be presented--no exceptions? You're gonna gripe about stores closing and losing a chunk of history, then turn your back on a piece of it simply because they bungled some paperwork? C'mon, I'm no musher, or even a huge fan, but think about it a little before you fly off the handle.
I'm wondering if we've just set a precedent to bend the rules because someone didn't get their paperwork in on time. Let's go by what's fair; is it fair to the others that didn't apply because they couldn't get the paperwork in on time?
I'm a Quest fan. But, I think they shoulda' sucked it up this round because they couldn't do what needed to have been done. And if they couldn't suck it up, then get creative with the fund raising without expecting a bailout from a City that could use the funds to a greater benefit...unlessssss the Quest brings in loads of tourism money and the City intends to recoup its investment? Don't know how all that works (yes; I'm ignorant).
I like (and trust) Bernard Gatewood, and if he thinks this is a good compromise, so be it. But unlike a sheep, I won't blindly agree with him on this issue; I'm more inclined to trust Vivian Stiver on this issue.
It seems like a good middle ground. I agree that they shouldn't be given special consideration, and they lost half of what they asked for because they filed late. However, things like the Quest do bring in a lot of other revenue and attention to Fairbanks, and losing it entirely we be the old "Cut off the nose to spite the face" mentality.
The person who failed to file on time should get serious second look by those at the quest for her lack of attention, and they should consider if they trust her to do this again the right way.
It's never fun to see the loudest complainer get their way, but sometimes the adverse damage is far greater.
pushovers!
As a Dog musher I know the "pinch" everyone is feeling as the economy is bad. I think that's when community needs to pull more together. Have to dig deep into that ol'Alaskan spirit, and it's not all about "what about me" mentality. Our forefathers and mothers worked hard and had fun hard back the day. There spirit should live on in those now that can remember. What comes around goes around. Revenue will be good when these Old Alaskan events stay around.
I love breaking the rules too!
With these tough economic times we are facing, the city council should consider priority of needs. The local shelters and public programs which help our low income and homeless, are in greater need than ever. Donations are severely down. This $30 thousand they have set aside, would go a long way for the shelters and food banks. As individuals, we cannot afford to be frivolous with our money. The city council should not be frivolous with the discretionary funds.
"ONLY $10,000" I'm sitting here shaking my head. This is wrong on so many levels, but the late filing is huge. And then to hear.. ONLY $10,000... That's TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.. say it again.
Struggling nonprofits are grateful for $5.00.. what an attitude...
How many other late filers were afforded the same courtesy?
Pragmatist said:
"The person who failed to file on time should get serious second look by those at the quest for her lack of attention, and they should consider if they trust her to do this again the right way."
Hey, pragmatist, do you actually know *who* was responsible for doing this? Or are you just assuming? I'm just sayin' - it could have been a "he"...
-jen
The YQ Board BEGGED! and got rewarded. I don't want to punish the Mushers or the Fans, but where is the fairness in all this mess to other late filers? Because All The Public may not be aware of them, who is to say what good these other hard working late filing Organizations can NOW no longer pull off for lack of funding due to an oversight and being denied the Bed Tax.
From top to bottom, begining to end, this story started off with a mistake and ended with an even bigger one.
ANOTHER TAKE ON THIS -
Reading all the prior entries, as well as the reported comments made during the meetings, I note that none here owned up to the fact that the funds in question originated in the smarmiest of all circumstances.
Those funds that certain of you seem to be regarding as belonging to "you" (your favorite cause, etc.), are NOT taxes you have paid in. To a 99%+ degree, they are NOT derived from anywhere near the city, or borough, and hardly from the state of Alaska at all.
Those so-called "bed taxes" come from those deemed least likely ever to vote in an election, sit in a city meeting, voice a protest about poor city planning, lack of city services, misbehaviour by city officials. From those whose virtually SOLE effect in Fairbanks is to provide its citizens and businesses "low-impact" revenue.
Is Fairbanks alone in taxing outsiders rather than taxing its own? No, of course not. Does that make it right? Again, no. But you who benefit from these visitors - first, from the revenue they pump into the city and second from the pool of "Bed Tax" revenue - thereupon lose virtually all legitimacy in complaining about how the funds are thereafter allocated.
First, I was at the meeting last night. The YQ was penalized by NOT having their application reviewed by the council. Councilmember Cleworth then proposed that 30K be taken from FEDCO and have 20K go to a fund for emergencies that might arise, such as extra snow removal, etc. and 10K go to the YQ. This is a bonified expense of the city. If you dont feel like it is, go to the meetings and protest during citizens comments!! As for Jerry Cleworth "lining his pockets at city taxpayers expense", I would like to see that proven or an apology issued for such a slanderous statement.
As for precedence set, it appears that in 2002 WIEO did not get their application for bed tax in under the deadline, and they did not get any money. Conversely, the Top of the World tourney had the same thing happen, and they got their application reviewed and received their money! There have been precedence set BOTH WAYS!! The council did adress that in their findings that they should be consistant in how they deal with these issues. I agree. Fairness, which Vivian Stiver stressed, is something that should be very important in these types of things, and I do not disagree with her viewpoint on this, but the fact that the council gave the YQ 10K is a good thing, IMHO.
Wanted: a director who actually pays attention and makes the Yukon Quest the great race it should be, not the laughing stock of the community.
Good Morning Fairbanks!
Coming from Germany to F.b. next Feb. I'm very glad to see the Yukon Quest is probably not in yeopardy to be canceled . As a retired musher , my whole travel would have been in question and the rest of my party of five , too. Us five will leave about a min. of 20.000$ in
Alaska in total. We'll be there to watch the races , Y.Q , Rondy , Iditarod and ONAC .
one reason i bet that cleworth voted to support the quest is he owns a store downtown and needs the foot traffic. with the new hotels going in by the new railroad depot and the big box stores there is no reason for the package tourists to go down town. i hope some one else who has been denied the funding because of late paperwork goes and finds a good lawyer to make the city play fair.
coffeediva,
The article on December 12th:
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/dec/12/yu...
According to that, "...Yukon Quest executive director Tania Simpson failed to turn in an application on time this year because she said she was not aware that the mayor’s proposal did not go through."
That was the "she". It wasn't a sexist assumption.
An event that that benefits not just interior of Alaska but business all over the state! This undoubtedly proves the shortsightedness of the Fairbanks city counsel. That's using the gray matter ladies & gentlemen! The cranial/rectal inversion got you again!
YukonJohn - you rock!
How does it go? 1.The Yukon request for money.2.The yukon Quest for money.3.The Yukon Quest.It really is the toughest sled dog race in the world.
I had initially posted this to the article about the coucil approving the 2009 budger. It is not totally out of place on this blog seeing how it was Jerry Cleworth that proposed the 10K to the YQ.
The good people of Fairbanks should thank their lucky stars for Jerry Cleworth, and, while we are at it, Donna Gilbert. There are not two other individuals on the face of the planet that know any more about the "nuts and bolts" and finances of this city than these two. They have both worked tirelessly to make Fairbanks a better city, and deserve the highest praise. Like or dislike their positions, they consistantly do their homework and come prepared to show their work!! Great Job Jerry....I was at the council meeting last night and I am, as always, in awe of how well you know the issues and have done the investigating to ask the correct questions. Thank you for your service, and Donna, thanks for yours over the years as well. This is all IMHO. A concerned citizen of the Borough,
John Greene
P.S. Also, I would like to thank Frank Turney and Mike Prax. They too spend countless hours pouring over issues, and they make the meetings to insure that their issue is heard. Frank last night made it a point to make sure that everyone in attendance was aware that yesterday was "Bill of Rights Day"!! This is something that we should all be aware of and thankful to our founding fathers for. Thanks Frank and Mike.
Maybe Tania was very busy with uncle O.J.'s trial.Next year should be much calmer.
Unless he stabs someone in jail next year... Tania should have more time, not as much as her uncle.
The Yukon Quest is always asking for more money! They want all their food free at the checkpoints, they want all their trail breaking done free of charge except for gas for the trail breakers snowmachines if that even gets to the checkpoints on time, they want free rooms or cabins for their officials, mushers and volunteers plus they want all your work running the checkpoint free of charge, not to mention if you provide all this free and you do not give them cash donations on top of it they wont list you as a sponsor. Sponsorship is generally the reason most businesses deal with the Quest! Before you all go donate your hard earned cash maybe you should talk to some people who have actually worked with them. There is a real reason they had to change their checkpoints and why they go thru so many employees and volunteers!
Who was the idiot that didn't turn the paper work in on time? Hope this is a lesson for you for next year.
Before this happened, I was under the impression that the Quest, and other large sporting events, were sponsered by companies. We see advertising all over the place? So why cant advertisers pay for this? I dont like it that the city "has" to pay.
Yukonjohn
It's my understanding the Top of the World was turned down correct?
P. Davenport, it was my understanding at the council meeting Monday night that the Top of the World tourney DID RECEIVE the bed tax money the year that they filed late, but that the 2002 WEIO DID NOT RECEIVE their money when they filed late. It was brought up as having a precedent set BOTH WAYS by coulcilmembers. They even brought it up twice during the meeting.
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