According to the reader, such a provision was included in the earlier 2019 order, but is no longer included in the new one.

Reader:

Please read how the introduction of 12 flat-rate hours and free activities for the school's children was justified. The new order does not contain this, which causes a fourfold increase in fees for clubs conducting free activities for children and young people.

Is it true that this provision is absent from the new order and that clubs will have to pay four times more than before to use sports halls?

We quote the Justification from the above-mentioned 2019 order:

Justification

Due to the provision of rooms in municipal educational institutions to external entities for conducting activities with children, young people and adults (including foreign-language classes, rhythmics, recreational activities, sports training, competitions and tournaments, extracurricular activities and lectures), as well as the use of catering facilities by a company supplying meals to children, it became necessary to define the rules for renting these rooms in municipal educational institutions.

The expectations of the sporting community to standardize the rules for renting sports halls by sports clubs conducting free activities for pupils of municipal and county schools as part of extracurricular or out-of-school activities were also taken into account. At the same time, it was proposed that the Miejski Ośrodek Sporu i Rekreacji w Bolesławcu not incur fees for using sports halls to conduct activities as part of the statutory operations of municipal educational institutions.

Sports clubs conducting free activities exclusively for pupils of a given school would not incur fees for using that school's sports halls for those activities. In turn, sports clubs conducting free activities for children and young people would pay a monthly flat-rate fee for using sports halls for those activities in the amount of twice the rates specified in Annex No. 1 to the amended order. A limit of 12 hours per month for each hall is set for this type of use.

This solution would also ensure that halls in schools throughout Bolesławiec were used evenly.

Considering that budgetary units, which are organizational units of the municipality, are VAT taxpayers (as Gmina Miejska Bolesławiec), it became necessary to establish minimum net rates for renting rooms in order to apply the correct VAT rates. SW/SW

We asked the city office for comment on the matter.

Spokesperson for Urząd Miasta Bolesławca – Agnieszka Gergont:

A new order of the Mayor of Bolesławiec concerning guidelines for renting and lending rooms in municipal preschools and schools is being prepared.

Renting rooms in educational institutions should at least cover the operating costs of those rooms. Due to the dramatic increase in all costs of maintaining educational institutions in 2022 and 2023, it became necessary both to change the rental rules and to adjust the rental fees.

The order proposes not to include the provisions from the 2019 order concerning a flat-rate fee for sports clubs renting sports halls for up to 12 hours per month. The fee amounted to between PLN 13 and PLN 76 net for the entire month. With a sports hall rented for 12 hours per month, a sports club paid between PLN 1.08 and PLN 6.33 net per rental hour. At present, this fee in no way covers the school's operating expenses. The monthly flat-rate fee for sports clubs generated a financial loss.

Supervisory decisions by the voivode concerning the rules and rates for renting rooms by local government units refer to legal norms which indicate that the fees set should reflect at least the actual costs of maintaining the facilities and that entities conducting sports activities for children and young people should be treated equally. The new order follows the comments in the voivode's decisions so that it cannot be accused of bias in applying the law by granting excessive discounts to a selected group of tenants.

Many sports clubs, foundations and associations are registered in the city and carry out statutory activities in the fields of sport, culture and education, conducting afternoon activities in public primary schools for the benefit of all residents. Lower rates were proposed for entities with a special focus on activities benefiting school-age children and young people, and uniform rules for reducing rates were established: sports clubs, foundations and associations will receive a 20% discount.

It is worth recalling that every year Gmina Miejska Bolesławiec supports non-governmental organizations by announcing competitions for the implementation of tasks by such organizations and awarding grants for this purpose. Every sports club has the right to apply each year for funding for its activities as part of the announced competitions. The outcome of the 2023 competition for the implementation of tasks in the field of sport shows that public-benefit organizations carrying out sports-related tasks will receive total funding of PLN 400,000.