The Surry County Board of Commissioners called an audible at a recent meeting as the board members discussed changes to county funding for nonprofit organizations.
They agreed earlier in the year that the county needed to take a closer look at 501c3 groups to certify they are serving a public purpose, serving Surry County residents, and are not duplicating services that are already provided by the county.
In a deviation from previous years, the board agreed to move a portion of recommended nonprofit funding into the general contingency fund until the new certification process is finalized and completed. Commissioner-elect Melissa Hiatt added her expertise as a local leader in the world of nonprofits and pointed out that some of the 501c3 groups the county funds are actually mandated funding requirements.
With that in mind, funding totaling $291,670 for Partners Behavioral Health, Surry Friends of Youth, The Children’s Center, and Surry PATH were given the green light by the board to remain in the budget total recommended by Surry County Manager Chris Knopf that totaled $102,972,616.
Other groups will have to qualify with the county under the new policy regarding county funding of 501c3 groups and the path to funding is not a guaranteed one. Among these groups are the American Red Cross, Helping Hands Ministries, and Surry Medical Ministries.
Funds those groups requested, and which were recommended for adoption in the budget by Knopf, will be moved into the county’s general fund as opposed to approved in one lump sum amount in the budget.
That will allow time for the review process to complete and he noted that funding for nonprofits would most likely not have occurred until October, after the completion of the county’s first fiscal quarter.
During the discussion Chair Van Tucker asked, “Would it be conceivable to say that we could just freeze that money and take it out of the recommended budget and then we could always do a budget amendment after say Jan. 1 when we say exactly where we want to go?”
Knopf said that was as option. “You could freeze it, you could move it to the general fund contingency and leave it there until they make a case later if you want them to come before you and talk about it in more detail.”
The board liked the sound of having oversight over those requests at a later time individually after the certification process has been completed.
Vice Chair Mark Marion gave his approval as Commissioner Larry Johnson noted, “I like that suggestion.”
“Some great points are being made and I got a couple of these (requests) I still want to support, but there’s some initiatives that I’m very disappointed with right now,” Johnson said. “I’d like for us to take that funding and put it over in our general contingency for us to decide later.”
“And then we’re not committed to do anything with it until we take it up with a budget amendment. But the money is still there,” Tucker said.
Johnson wondered if that January date could not be any earlier. Tucker agreed in principle but explained that to his understanding, “By the time they get into the numbers to analyze it’s going to be October. With some of those agencies, we’re not going to know what their true needs is until Jan. 1 because there’s some things changing, at least with some of them.”
“There’s gonna’ be some sore-tailed cats over here,” Commissioner Eddie Harris noted. “I’m against parking it. I’m for taking these out of the recommended budget, passing it, and be done with it.”
The budget when passed is the roadmap the county should follow he said. “Passing the budget gives us a little ability to hold tight (on expenditures)… When you start getting a lot of requests outside the normal budget process, it becomes problematic. I understand there are extenuating requests and things that come up during the fiscal year, but nevertheless you try to stick to your budget.”
Tucker said parking the funding and making funding determinations later in the fiscal year will allow the county to, “See how some of these agencies are percolating, if they’re still here and still serving… and give us time to see what the sales tax revenue numbers are.”
“I’d rather settle this once and for all because when the county budget is adopted, to me, that’s it,” Harris said but ultimately relented in order to not delay overall progress.
In designing the plan Commissioner Bill Goins suggested if state funding is contingent in part “that they are serving Surry County residents with the money we’re appropriating to them.” Tucker said that would not be the only qualifying factor he would want to consider.
Aside from nonprofit items, a pair of requests were discussed from the Town of Pilot Mountain who requested funding to make repairs to the elevator at the Charles H. Stone Memorial Library which was included in the recommended budget.
Pilot Mountain Commissioner Scott Needham, also a candidate for the Surry County Board of Commissioners, was in attendance to observe the proceedings. He said the elevator at the library had been broken for some time but that other capital improvements to the library came first. Protecting the books came first, he said, which meant window and roof repairs were addressed first.
A request for funding for Armfield Center was denied as the board applied the same logic it had in the past to the Reeves Center in Mount Airy. When that building moved to city ownership, the county no longer funded it and the board opted to follow suit with Armfield.
A handful of requests from outside agencies were rejected at last week’s meeting. The Thurmond Community Center was denied a request of $5,000 as the agency was determined to predominantly serve Wilkes County residents. Tiny Tigers Rescue had its request of $35,000 denied as it also has not been a part of the county budget.
Foothills Arts Council missed the filing deadline and its request of $9,000 was not considered. The Horne Creek Farm Committee asked the board for $185,000 but were denied as it has not traditionally been part of the county budget; last year the agency did receive funding from Invest in Surry funds.
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