The $872,000 allotted by the Non-Partisan Association majority in city council for the expansion of the private-security program of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association is roughly equal to the funding cut being sought by city hall from the park board's 2008 budget.

COPE park commissioner Loretta Woodcock made the comparison. She noted that the park board is being asked to absorb an $800,000 reduction, which will affect services. She said these include cuts to park maintenance and the operation of community centres.

"We see that as a threat to our ability to provide services to the public," Woodcock told the Straight , referring to the DVBIA's Downtown Ambassadors program, whose public funding was approved in a December 13 council meeting.

In 2006, city hall asked the park board to reduce its 2007 budget by more than $400,000, but the board was able to convince council not to make any cuts. "They rescinded it last year and now they're doubling it up," Woodcock said. "It appears to me with that kind of a large reduction that we are going to be taking some kind of a cut."

Vision Vancouver councillor George Chow explained to the Straight that the NPA majority was able to keep the funding for the Ambassadors program out of the 2008 budget by charging the expansion costs to the city's contingency reserve. Straight.com previously reported that the NPA's motion was changed from a grant to a contract to eliminate a requirement for eight affirmative votes.