WINDSOR — A Windsor city councillor is asking residents to 'take a pause' from donating to the Downtown Mission.
Ward 3 Councillor Rino Bortolin made the comments after the mission recently sold the former central library branch on Ouellette Ave. to a developer and purchased vacant property on Ouellette and Elliott to build on.
Speaking on AM800's the Dan MacDonald Show, Bortolin says the city negotiated with the mission in 'good faith' and instead, the mission took a "public asset and flipped it for a profit for its own use."
As a result, Bortolin says donors should see how their money is spent before committing to the mission.
"You start to go through their financials and you start to see that things like salaries have jumped a huge percentage from $800,000 to $2.4-million over the years," he says.
Bortolin adds the Downtown Mission Board of Directors should be asking some tough questions.
"When we donate to the mission, who is one of the biggest attraction of our donation dollars, are those dollars actually hitting the people most in need," asks Bortolin.
Downtown Mission Executive Director Ron Dunn says the mission did what is best for the organization and the people it serves.
As for Bortolin's comments, Dunn calls them 'irresponsible.'
"So his pause, that he suggested, just cost 3,215 hot meals," says Dunn.
Since Bortolin's comments, Dunn says the mission has already lost a $10,000 gift.
"What if, for example my board says hey Ron let's recoup that $10,000, so next Thursday close for the day, no day programming, no night programming, who does that hurt?" he adds.
Dunn says he has extended multiple offers to Bortolin and other councillors to come in and visit but to no avail.
Bortolin is not calling on Dunn to resign.