Owen Sound Council has agreed to spend more than 42 thousand dollars on a new corporate marketing identity.
But the City will recoup almost half of that cost from the provincial government, and councillors feel it will be money well spent.
Steve Furness — the Citys Manager of Economic Development and Tourism — recommended Council hire eSolutions Group of Waterloo for the project.
The firm was chosen from amongst four candidates by a panel comprised of Council and staff.
The consulting firm previously won a contract to revamp the city’s website.
Furness says that was a factor in the decision to hire the firm again, but not the tipping factor.
The city’s budget had already provided for up to 75 thousand dollars for this project — but it will only cost over 42 thousand dollars.
That doesn’t include printing and media placement costs, although Furness does not expect those figures to be significant.
eSolutions Group will charge the city $11,600 for corporate branding and logo development, $16,300 for a marketing strategy, and $14,800 for marketing and investment tools.
The Ontario government’s Rural Economic Development Program will cover 45 per cent of the citys costs — which is almost 20 thousand dollars.
Still, Councillor Jim McManaman voiced concerns about the expenditure.
He reminded his colleagues of the possibility that Owen Sound will lose an estimated 2 million dollars when the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund ends.
But Councillor Bill Twaddle says those are just rumours for now and the threat should not paralyze the city as it goes about its day-to-day business.
Councillor Peter Lemon feels the new marketing identity will pay dividends into the future.