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<\/a><\/p>\nWealthy Edinburgh residents could be asked to chip in more money to help with projects around the city, after councillors agreed to look into setting up a fundraising team.<\/p>\n
The proposal brought forward by Liberal Democrat councillor Lewis Younie, who highlighted frustration at major projects aimed at improving the city for residents, often being delayed or scrapped due to a lack of funds.<\/p>\n
And he highlighted Edinburgh\u2019s \u201cfantastic record of philanthropy and generosity among its residents, right across the city\u201d, as he urged colleagues to support investigating the formation of a fundraising team.<\/p>\n
Council officials have now been tasked with bringing back a report on how \u201ca fundraising team to support specific council projects\u201d might work, and how it could be organised.<\/p>\n
Introducing his motion to members of the Finance and Resources Committee on Tuesday, Cllr Younie said: \u201cI think we have a very generously minded citizenry, we have people who would want to contribute to making the city a better place to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conservative councillor Phil Doggart took issue with the proposal, suggesting it could be seen as an attempt by councilors to avoid taking \u201chard decisions\u201d around which projects to fund.<\/p>\n
In an amendment opposing the motion he warned that \u201cthe increase in costs imposed by the UK government and the on-going underfunding from the Scottish Government has left City of Edinburgh Council with difficult decisions to take.\u201d<\/p>\n
And he said they must \u201crecognise that if Council has inadequate resources, elected members must take those decisions required to close the funding gap by concentrating on priority deliverables.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was surprised when I read this motion,\u201d he said. \u201cIt looks like the Lib Dems will do anything to avoid hard decisions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I was a philanthropist looking to do something for the good of the city I would just go ahead and do it, rather than handing over my money to an organisation which could be seen as not massively efficient.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are plenty of philanthropists already around the city and it\u2019s quite strange that we would go to try and get them to give money to this organisation, where they would then lose control of the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis motion is unnecessary, it is abdicating our responsibility on this committee, and that is why we are opposing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposal was backed by Green councillor Alex Staniforth, who said: \u201cIf you look at the statue of Adam Smith outside [the city chambers] the plaque on the back is just a list of the people who paid for the statue, which I think is what he would have wanted. But the point is, it\u2019s a list of people.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery often you have a number of people who have a little bit of money to spare who would like to put it towards their community. This idea would allow us to facilitate people who want to collectively put their money towards the benefit of the city. Crowd funding rather than a single philanthropist.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this would allow people to invest in their communities and is worth supporting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Committee convenor Cllr Mandy Watt said she felt there was \u201cno harm in asking\u201d for a report on the proposal, and joked \u201cyou can never have too many statues of Adam Smith\u201d.<\/p>\n
After a vote councillors agreed to pass the motion 9 votes to 2. Part of Cllr Doggart\u2019s amendment, asking that the council \u201crecognises the role played by the private sector in supporting projects around the city for the good of all the city\u201d was accepted.<\/p>\n
A report on the possibility of a fundraising team is now set to be prepared for a future meeting of the committee.<\/p>\n
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter<\/p>\n
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