Contribution to Loreto recreational facility to increase significantly

The cantonal population is happy to make use of the workshops at the Loreto leisure centre. The Zug city parliament has thereby decided to increase the contribution to the association.

The Loreto leisure centre has been a meeting place for the people of Zug since the summer of 1969. Creative projects can be realised in the workshops there, and various courses can be attended. The range of courses on offer has been steadily expanded and there are now around 50 course instructors.

At yesterday's meeting, the Zug City Council (Grosse Gemeinderat Zug: GGZ) once again strengthened the position of the leisure centre: in future, the "Gemeinnützige Organisation Zug" non-profit organisation, which ensures the services offered in the Loreto, will receive an annual recurring contribution of CHF 240,000 for 2023 to 2026, which will be charged to the income statement. This is CHF 40,000 more than in previous years. The association itself had requested an increase of CHF 60,000.

Workshops, sports and language courses: There is something for everyone at the Loreto leisure centre.                     Symbolic image: Christian Herbert Hildebrand

Due to various innovations, a large deficit in the annual accounts - on average CHF 225,000 in the red per year - and the fact that there had been no increase in contributions since 1997, Loreto requested more money. CHF 20,000 are to be spent on staff expansion, and CHF 20,000 on professionalisation and digitisation.

GPK motion did not prevail
In its report, the Business Control Commission (GPK: Geschäftsprüfungskommission) had already proposed an increase of the amount by CHF 10,000, to CHF 250,000. In its proposal, the commission explained that this would ensure that the city of Zug and the GGZ would also provide approximately the same amount, and the city's contribution would roughly correspond to the annual deficit currently covered by the GGZ.

At the meeting, GPK President Philip C. Brunner praised the fact that the contributions to the leisure centre would be reviewed every four years. This allows them to react to new projects and ideas. "It makes sense to look at the contributions again from time to time," he added.

Some people in the parliament were in favour of the GPK's proposal, and others were against it. Councillor Etienne Schumpf emphasised that the offer was popular and tried and tested, but that the city council did not consider it necessary to increase the contribution by CHF 10,000 without necessity. This could lead to covetousness on the part of other associations in the future and result in a "financial policy bazaar". On behalf of the Mitte (Centre) party, Theo Iten also said that the group did not consider the proposal to be serious, and would not support it. In the end, the city council's proposal was narrowly passed by 20 votes to 17 for the GPK proposal.

City of Zug to bear most of the costs
In the debate, the city council once again touched on the issue of the burden of the centre. Although many users come from other Zug municipalities and not from the city, those municipalities make little or no financial contribution. Martin Iten, on behalf of the ALG-CSP group, said that the city should continue to support the centre without question. But: "It’s a pity that the other municipalities hardly support the leisure facility. Cham, for example, pays CHF 1,000."

The motion nevertheless did not encounter any major hurdles In the final vote, and was accepted.