Members of the Smalltown and Dullbridge (SaD) Town Council agreed to support the revised £170,000 budget for the town’s White Elephant Enclosure, following a heated debate.
Last month, the WEE submitted a budget which had forecast it would make approximately £50,000 of income during the coming year on expenditure of £240,000, leaving £194,000 to be funded by tax payers which prompted a debate about its viability.
The budget was rejected by the SaDTC Finance and Misappropriation Committee who referred it back to the White Elephant Enclosure Panel (WEEP) asking them to “try harder.”
The WEEP responded by adding a few numbers onto the expected income, plucking figures from the air to forecast higher income of £68,000 during the coming year on expenditure of £240,000 leaving £170,000 to be funded by tax payers or reserves.
This week’s meeting came after the WEE’s Smalltown Culture and Arts Manager (SCAM) Debby Karmary announced her resignation in an email sent to all community users of the WEE on Monday urging them to attend the meeting to show their support or face losing the WEE forever.
Representatives from several groups turned up, scared witless by the insinuation that the WEE could face closure or even demolition, however, it is not the community use of the theatre that raises concern and most residents would agree to funding for that use. Instead it is the money wasted on trying to turn the WEE into a cinema/Enclosure Royal or Elephantdrome, by buying in shows that no one wants to see.
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Lionel Blair, director of the Smalltown Pantomime Society, responded to the SCAM’s request to turn up to give support to the WEE stating that the group has been running for 52 years and relies on the WEE to host its annual January shows.
Karen Bellend, whose family runs the WEE cafe, also spoke in support of the WEE “Where else are we going to find a cafe premises where we can pay way below market rents?”
However, Ellen Proves, member of the Dullbridge Liberation Front said “This Council needs to engage more with the public on the costs, total council spending on the theatre is now close to £1million. The budget cannot be justified. I implore you to consult with residents.”
Business Tycoon Lex Turkey then tried to explain Economics for Schoolchildren by handing five chocolate coins to councillors before explaining that they illustrated how three fifths of the council’s budget goes to running costs, one fifth to grants and transport, while one fifth is spent on the WEE. He told councillors: “You have got quite a choice to make – do you want to spend £1 in every £5 on a WEE? ”
A glowering SCAM then addressed the meeting, first asking if a member of the public could stop filming. After receiving the reply “No” from the filmmaker, the SCAM turned to the Smalltown New Administration Guru (SNAG) and chair of the meeting, Eugenie Sherry and asked them to tell the member of the public to stop filming.
Having received a negative response from them, the SCAM went back to glowering and pouting like a sulky schoolchild before waffling on for some time about how incredibly successful the WEE is, something which isn’t borne out by the figures, and telling the meeting that the views of people who can’t afford to use the WEE should be ignored.
“You must all be incredibly stupid if you think anyone could reverse the ailing fortunes of the WEE. It’s never going to make money. The costs will go up year on year and I’m not prepared to try to increase usage. Do the job I was employed to do? Not likely.”
Squire Teflon gave his strong support to the SCAM and said she “should be given a chance.” He also questioned whether the objective of “trebling the WEE runrate” – which had been set by the council’s Finance and Misappropriation Committee – was achievable.
“Where did this figure come from? Was it plucked from thin air, in the same way that the new income estimate has been? Do we give the SCAM a chance?”
He went on to say that Debby has been the “most magnificent employee on the planet I’ve ever had and I’ve had a few. Debby please reconsider your resignation and stay with us. I’m sure this committee will give you a pay rise to compensate for asking you to do your job.”
Cllr Robert NotBothered agreed saying” I couldn’t be bothered to read the recommendations made by the Finance and Misappropriation during their November meeting until yesterday. I have to say that I don’t believe their recommendations can be achieved. It’s impossible.
Who do the F&M committee think they are? Just because they are chaired by a Chartered Accountant it doesn’t mean that they have the slightest idea about finance.
Anyone can write a business plan. I could write a business plan right now. It doesn’t mean that it will be a good business plan, because I’ve never written a business plan before. Just a few scribbles on the back of a fag packet. Call it a business plan. Job done. But I cant be bothered.
I have to add that I am sure that the residents of Dullbridge who attend the Porland Community Hall to collect their food parcels from me and seek advice on the cost of living crisis will be more than happy to see their money spent on something they can’t afford to use.
I would also encourage the SCAM to stay on and not worry about trying to make more income for the WEE.”
Smalltown’s Most Popular Person Jock McCads said” I am very sorry that Debby has resigned, but we have to set targets and motivate others to achieve it – it’s hard work, and I can understand why Debby doesn’t feel she can do that. I don’t think that attitude has prevailed at the WEE.
We need to somehow make it into a profitable enterprise or at the very least an enterprise that gets close to profit. Or has a working loss that we can accept. We currently have a working loss that we find unacceptable. It needs to be acceptable to the local community.”
Agreeing with Cllr McCads, Jim Rabbithole said “We have got to change the business model of the WEE. We also need to generate more income from the space – we can make it work and get the income up. We do need to treble the runrate – but is that achievable? No.”
Councillors agreed unanimously to reject the request to try to get more people through the doors of the WEE but to approve the new budget. The matter will now return to the F&M committee in January.