LaGrange amends budget for $200k in agency funding

The City of LaGrange continued to reduce its annual agency appropriations with a budget amendment on Tuesday.

Traditionally, agency appropriations — funding for charitable or non-profit organizations — are a part of the annual budgeting process. This year, the council elected to set aside $250,000 and decide which groups get the funding at a later date.

In recent years, the council has made drastic reductions to agency funding after the overall funding ballooned to over a million dollars.

The council had halved the funding each agency was provided for the last few years, ultimately hoping for a total cut by 2024, which did not happen.

Most agencies were limited to $12,500, half of the maximum provided when the city began trying to “wean” agencies away from city funding in 2019.

Some agencies that provide services utilized by the city have been transitioned to be funded by other departments, such as the domestic violence shelter, Harmony House, which is now part of the police budget. The council has discussed doing the same for the Troup County Homeless Coalition in next year’s budget.

After much discussion during the morning work session, the council ended up settling on about $200,000 in agency appropriations and saving the remaining $50,000 to potentially be disbursed throughout the year if needed.

The following funding was approved via budget amendment:

 Enlightenment Center for African American History (ECAAH) – $0

 Operation Correct Start of America (Saving our Sons) – $12,500

 Troup County Homeless Coalition – $30,000

 Discovering Soldiers Potential II – $12,500

 LaGrange Art Museum – $10,000

 LaGrange-Troup County Council of Church Women – $2,700

 LaGrange Symphony Orchestra – $7,500

 Troup Cares – $7,500

 Joy Inside Tears – $4,500

 Clockwork Youth Academy – $12,500

 Lafayette Society for the Performing Arts – $10,000

 Black Women in Action – $5,000

 Communities In Schools – $12,500

 Troup County Americorps – $8,000

 Fellowship Deliverance Ministries – $5,000

 West Georgia STAR – $12,500

 Red Cross $12,500

 Chattahoochee Riverkeeper – $10,000

 LaGrange Personal Aid – $12,500

 Salvation Army $12,500

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