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Lerner board accepts financial report and approves $4,550 visitor-guide ad pending legal changes
Summary
The Lerner Theatre board accepted year-to-date financials showing modest net improvement and approved a $4,550 full-page ad in the Elkhart County visitor guide, with city legal requiring removal of an indemnification clause before the contract is signed.
The Lerner Theatre board accepted its year-to-date financial statements and authorized a $4,550 full-page advertisement in the Elkhart County visitor guide at its July meeting.
Nick Mueller of Groogel Lawton presented the financial package for the period ending May 31, 2026, reporting that “net income from theater operations only shown as gross profit at the end of the period is $347,632.” He said year-to-date net income for all Lerner operations, including city expenses, was $49,705 compared with $20,961 a year earlier and noted that a $205,000 grant received last year is not reflected in the current statements. “Excluding that, the net income for 2026 would actually be $233,744 greater than prior year,” Mueller said.
The report showed total operational expenses of $714,594 covered by a City contribution of $361,466 and a Lerner contribution of $353,128; board members noted nine profitable shows and events in May. The board moved and approved acceptance of the treasurer’s report by voice vote.
On a separate motion, the board approved allocating $4,550 from its budget for a full-page color advertisement in the Elkhart County visitor guide. General manager Carl Thompson described the guide as a widely distributed regional publication intended for visitors and residents and said the ad purchase is part of a broader marketing push that includes a 30,000-piece mailer and a TV special.
City attorney Kevin Davis flagged language in the vendor contract: “There’s some language … that needs to be removed because it violates our … contractual protections ordinance,” he said, advising the board that legal must clear the revised contract before the president signs it. The board approved the expenditure and directed staff to finalize the agreement after the indemnification clause is removed.
The board also approved the claims and allowance docket (total read into the record as $35,313.65), accepted minutes from the June meeting and adjourned. The actions were taken by voice votes; exact roll-call tallies were not recorded in the meeting transcript.
