Despite the effort, the Pavilion still might see a $216,000 deficit when numbers are finalized in June, said Gary Wood, the Pavilion’s president and chief executive officer, during a report to the City Council this week.
“If the downturn had occurred in June, it would have given us more time to adapt,” Wood said. “When it started occurring in September and October, we didn’t really have time, so we had to take more drastic action.”
No worries Gary, Vernon Brown has got your back (Quen Be De must have not been available for comment).
“He is not asking the city taxpayers to make up the deficit and is making adjustments within his own budget,” Brown said.
Because it’s not like we hand them over a cool $1.3 million of taxpayer dollars every year or do expensive maintenance to the city owned building (cough, cough, million dollar windows, cough cough) that is not in their budget but hidden in the city’s CIP budget.
For 2008, she (finance director) said the negative $216,000 in the operating fund is relative, based on how you look at the numbers.
Â
“When you add up all of our funds, like the permanent collection fund, the endowment fund, special project fund and others, we had an increase in net assets last year of $27,000,” Hathaway said. “Everyone wants to focus on our operating fund instead of the big picture of everything we do.”
Because, unlike actual businesses we count toilet paper rolls as assets and substract that from our deficit (really they do).
While the Husby Performing Arts Center’s Great Hall shows usually make money, the Kirby Science and Discovery Center has run a deficit in past years.
‘In past years’? Try every year. I have often said they should close the Science Center, expand the gift shop, get more movies at the Cinedome and rent the space for special events. It has been bleeding since the place has opened – time to dress the wound.
It almost makes you wonder if they want it to lose money every year? Think about it. If the Pavilion started ‘making money’ they wouldn’t have an excuse to come to the city every year and ask for a subsidy.
Remember the pavilion is going to open a daycare for the rich. That should help blanace the budget.
They already quoted in the AL article about it, “This won’t be a money making venture.” Well, I guess they are the right people for the job then.