Moncton City Council passed its operating budget in principle last week, also contained cuts to community grants. That included a cut of $50, 000 to the Capitol Theatre.
Managing Director of the Capitol Theatre Kim Rayworth says this cut has put them in a very awkward situation, “It does place us in a difficult situation, because the money has been committed as part of a three year multi-phased agreement for massive renovations and improvements to the building over three years. The work is committed and planned, scheduled in our calendar, and the drawings are being prepared now. You can imagine that a project of its size, a lot of advanced planning has to take place. The third and final phase of the agreement will definitely take place next summer.”
The Capitol Theatre will have to make cuts elsewhere to make up the funds, but Rayworth says they’re unsure at this point what areas the money will come from.
Rayworth says the process needs to change, “With an organization the size of ours, the size of the building, the ability to bring renovations to our building has to happen, we need more notice than what is coming to us for projects that have been planned and committed for years.”
