Boyle plans to keep agency funding mostly flat

Published 7:58 am Thursday, May 25, 2017

With the Boyle County Fiscal Court’s vote to provide $65,000 for Planning and Zoning in the coming fiscal year, magistrates finished off their list of appropriations to community and government agencies.

Boyle County plans to give community agencies $21,050 less than it did this year — total funding for local non-profits falls from $188,600 this year to $167,550 in the proposed budget.

Funding for outside government agencies is slated to rise by $24,100, going from $665,200 to $689,300.

Email newsletter signup

That means over all, appropriations stayed essentially flat, rising by just $3,050 over the current year.

Appropriation funding could be on the chopping block in the future: Boyle County Judge-Executive Harold McKinney said Tuesday that once the county’s budget is approved, a letter will be sent to agencies that receive funding, warning them funding could disappear.

“My thinking is — let’s don’t jerk the rug out from under anybody, let’s give them a full year to understand: ‘you’ve got to start thinking about this.’” McKinney said. “Because next year might be a different situation.”

Magistrate John Caywood said the letter is “short and to the point.”

“I don’t see how it can be misinterpreted,” he said.

Danville City Commission has made similar warnings to the agencies it provides funding to that government may have to significantly reduce or do away with community funding as budgets get tighter.

In general, Boyle County declined to provide funding to any agencies that had not already received funding this year. However, the reformed Civil Air Patrol at the Danville-Boyle County Airport received $1,800 for utilities. The Civil Air Patrol used to receive $1,800 annually from the county, according to a budget document provided by Treasurer Mary Conley, but the organization disbanded several years ago and only reformed this  fiscal year.

Grace Café, which is expected to receive community funding from Danville for the first time this year, was among the new requesting agencies to the fiscal court that was denied.

The fiscal court agreed to provide the airport board with $25,000 — $10,000 more than its usual amount, to help fund the replacement of a roof. Danville had already similarly committed an additional $10,000 for the roof, as long as Boyle followed suit.

The county did not increase its funding plans for Planning and Zoning or the Economic Development Partnership. Danville has committed $12,500 in additional funding to P&Z to open that office on Fridays, but only if Boyle County also contributes $12,500. Danville has similarly committed up to $40,000 in increased funding for the EDP — if other public or private entities also contribute $40,000 in new funding.

The following appropriations were included in the proposed budget that passed a first reading by the fiscal court on Tuesday. The first figure is what an agency is budgeted to receive in the 2017-18 fiscal year; the second is how much it requested; the third is how much it received this year.

Community agencies

• Comprehensive Care — $2,000; requested $2,000; funded $2,000 this year.

• Nursing Home Ombudsman — $2,600; requested $2,600; funded $2,600 this year.

• BCTC Adult Education — $2,500; requested $2,500; funded $2,500 this year.

• Wilderness Trace Child Development Center — $20,000; requested $25,000; funded $23,000 this year.

• CASA of the Bluegrass — $3,000; requested $5,000; funded $3,000 this year.

• Family Services — $19,000; requested $19,000; funded $19,000 this year.

• Boyle/Mercer Helping Hands — $9,000; requested $15,000; funded $9,000 this year.

• Danville/Boyle Happy Feet = Learning — $1,800; requested $1,800; funded $1,800 this year.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters — $0; requested $5,000; funded $0 this year.

• Grace Café — $0; requested $5,000; funded $0 this year.

• New Hope Food Pantry — $0; requested $8,000; funded $0 this year.

• KyADAPT — $0; requested $3,500; funded $0 this year.

• Community Action Partnership — $0; requested $9,000; funded $0 this year.

• Circle of Hope — $0; requested $10,000; funded $0 this year.

• Mercer Transformation — $0; requested $1,000; funded $0 this year.

• Senior Citizens Center — $75,000; requested $75,000; funded $75,000 this year.

• Civil Air Patrol — $1,800; requested $1,951; funded $0 this year.

• Arts Commission of Danville/Boyle County — $2,000; requested $3,000; funded $2,000 this year.

• Perryville Commemoration — $1,000; requested $1,000; funded $5,000 this year.

• Citizens Concerned for Human Relations — $0; requested $1,000; funded $1,000 this year.

• Veterans Day appreciation dinner — $600; requested $600; funded $600 this year.

• Human Rights Commission — $750; requested $750; funded $750 this year.

• West T. Hill Theater — $1,000; requested $2,000; funded $1,000 this year.

• Community Arts Center — $15,000; requested $18,000; funded $15,000 this year.

• Brass Band Festival — $10,000; requested $15,000; funded $12,000 this year.

• Pioneer Playhouse — $0; requested $3,000; funded $1,500 this year.

• Juvenile shelter expenses — $500; requested $500; funded $500 this year.

Government agencies

• Airport Board — $25,000; requested $25,000; funded $15,000 this year.

• Planning and Zoning — $65,000; requested $65,000; funded $65,000 this year.

• Parks and Recreation — $321,750; requested $321,750; funded $286,600 this year.

• Economic Development Partnership — $110,000; requested $110,000; funded $110,000 this year.