Councillor tries to rope in extra funding for ranch

A city councillor will make his case Monday (Sept. 28) for increasing Vernon’s grant to the O’Keefe Ranch next year from the scheduled $50,000, to $125,000.

Scott Anderson said in a notice of motion, the grant will allow the city-owned ranch to survive, noting operational losses of about $124,000 this year due to COVID-19.

Anderson lists a number of revenue losses due to cancelations including cancelled programs ($7,170) and special events ($9,468).

“The social and economic restrictions due to COVID 19 have created major hurdles for the ranch in 2020, necessitating an almost complete shutdown of major money-making events, eventually culminating in an across-the-board staff layoff at the end of September, including senior management,” Anderson wrote in his motion to be debated by council.