Current regular user groups of the Elks Hall will have about three months to find new quarters for their activities, after the Fifth Street Social Club decided to cease operations of the lounge in the lower level.

The lounge closed after its final day on Sunday, while the board members have agreed to honour all bookings for the Elks Hall up to and including Wednesday, April 30.

The Elks had been in negotiations with the City of Weyburn for a tax concession, to help them deal with a decline in revenues, but in the end the two parties could not come to an agreement on the concessions. To help improve their revenue picture, the Elks had proposed becoming the home to any city sports, recreational or service groups that needed a permanent home, in return for which they would have their property tax bill forgiven by the city.

"Without the tax concessions and our shrinking revenues, we just didn't feel the operation was viable," said Don Kraft of the Weyburn Elks Club. "The facilities are just too large for the revenues we generate, and we needed to reduce our costs."

In past representations to city council, Kraft also contended there was unfair competition from other halls like the Legion Hall and McKenna Hall, which are both tax-free. The Legion is tax-free due to a legislated status as their facility benefits war veterans, and the McKenna Hall is owned by the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Parish, and as such is not subject to paying taxes.

Mayor Don Schlosser said that the request for tax concessions was never decided by council as the Fifth Street Social Club decided on their own to close their lounge facility.

"The city has never taken any tax proceedings. They held a vote and decided they couldn't meet their expenses, not counting their taxes," said the mayor.

The city has agreed, in the meantime, to pay the utilities for the Elks Hall until it ceases operation at the end of April, in order to protect the integrity of the building and maintain its salability.

The mayor noted one proposal from the Elks was for the city to pay the utilities and keep operating the lounge facility.

Besides the utilities, the city will also forgive the penalties and interest on their back taxes and just charge the principal once the building is sold, said Mayor Schlosser, adding both parties hope the Elks will make more from the sale than what is owed in back taxes, estimated at around $40,000 for the past two years. He suggested if the building doesn't sell after a lengthy time, the Elks may consider turning the building over to the city in lieu of the outstanding taxes.

The Elks Club listed the hall for sale the week of Jan. 20, but as of Friday no offers had been made on the facility.

The Elks Lodge and Royal Purple Lodge will continue to operate as before, and are in talks to see if they might share facilities with the Masonic Lodge, said Kraft.

Meanwhile, the Weyburn Rotary Club, which meets weekly for luncheon meetings, and the Soo Line Boxing Club, which uses a portion of the upstairs hall, will have to find new quarters after April 30.

Boxing coach Hank Hartenberger noted the club just moved in there last October, after being kicked out of their long-time home in the Souris Valley Extended Care Centre, in the basement of the Southeast Regional College's former home.

He said their season lasts until May or June, and isn't sure what the club will do after the end of April.

Rotary Club president Grant Paulson said they are continuing to meet at the Elks, and are looking for an alternate meeting spot but haven't finalized a new location yet.

"The Elks have been very accommodating through all of this," said Paulson.