CAMDEN — We appreciate the quandary that the Camden Advertising and Promotion Committee recently found itself regarding the funding request deadline for 2020.
Despite, as one committee member said, “everybody was informed Oct. 15” was the deadline, it was evident by what was said at the meeting that some had not heard about the deadline or did not consider it to be hard and fast, based on past A&P actions.
The committee agreed that it had set a funding request deadline in the past, but this year was the first time it would be strictly enforced. However, it was said during the committee meeting that several event organizations had not yet submitted requests for next year.
So, should the committee rigidly stick to the deadline, knowing there are groups who will be coming to ask for funding? Or, knowing that event organizations, which received funds in the past but apparently did not know of the deadline or thought it was not set in stone, should the committee bend a little to accommodate requests it was certain would be coming?
At least two committee members recommended sticking to the deadline because organizations knew about the deadline. As committee member Tim Wilson put it, “Well then they need to be turned down because everybody was informed Oct. 15. Then they don’t do it. Far as I’m concerned they don’t get anything… That’s what’s wrong with this country now, no one wants to take responsibility.”
But committee member Mike Tidwell emphasized that this is the first year the commission is making applicants adhere to the deadline. Committee member Lori DeWoody suggested that, because it is unfair to those that did meet the deadline, the funding for the other event that didn’t should be “subject to availability of funds.”
In the end the A&P Committee put funds into a contingency category, knowing some event organizers who have missed the deadline will want funding.
That sounds like a reasonable compromise to us, along with the plan to stress to all the deadline and the requirement from here on that it must be met to expect A&P funding.