The Season of Questions

It is official. Budget season has begun. Already questions about funding non profits have spurred lively conversation and it is clear that this year, like others, will find the funding conundrum a talking point for both sides of the isle. This fiscal year, which ends the last day of June 2016, found only three non profits, Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce/EDOC, Humane Society and Boys and Girls Club, making the cut for funding and those saw their contributions chopped but they were the lucky ones. All of the others, Meals on Wheels, Safe Space, Habitat for Humanity and many others received no County money.

In a perfect world, non profits would be funded from private contributions. However, we all know that this is not a perfect world. So, the question must be asked- is it fair to take money from one citizen to fund the needs of another? In other words, is it any government’s business to redistribute its citizen’s money, no matter how worthy the cause? For me, this is a really hard question. I see the good that many non profits do and the services that they provide-services that might fall to the government if not for those organizations. But, who is to say which non profit gets the nod and which gets nothing. It is all in perspective. Do we fund non profits that benefit our children, which are our future? Or, do we fund non profits that benefit our elderly, who have spent many years paying their dues and contributing to society? Maybe we fund our mentally challenged because they have needs that they cannot meet without assistance or maybe we fund non profits that focus on the abused and neglected, who are in real danger?

I guess that most of us would agree that there are many worthy non profits. If I were the one charged with making decisions, I would first ask the question-are any non profits in danger of losing their grants and other sources of funding if they do not receive a contribution from the County. Next I would look at those non profits that have traditionally, as a part of their structure, relied heavily on the County for their funding and that the County has a presence on their Boards. Lastly, I would ask-do any of these organizations create revenue for the County or would the County incur cost if they did not provide their service?

Redistribution of money leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But, I have to admit that I had to swallow hard when the Meals on Wheels program lost their County funding for the current fiscal year. The non profit portion of the budget season is the one that I dread the most because there are simply no easy answers. This budget season, the Budget Committee has decided that it will not even consider any new non profits, meaning that if a non profit was not on the list for this fiscal year they will not be heard. Those that requested funding for the fiscal year 2015/16, regardless of the outcome of that request, will still be able to request funding this go around. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they will get funded but at least there is still a shot.

It would be lovely if the citizens of the County could and would fund these non profits with private funds. But, the reality is that the poverty level in Jefferson County is high and a great number of our citizens do not have the extra money to give, although I am sure that many wish that they could. Raising taxes to fund non profits is unthinkable and I don’t believe that the County Commission would put that additional burden on the tax payers. Losing the services of many of the non profits that meet the needs of our residents is also unthinkable. Sometimes, I sit in meetings and shake my head in wonder at the expounding and debate by some Commissioners on what should be no brainer issues. And, I squirm in my seat as they turn thin agendas into lengthy discussions for the purpose of hearing themselves talk. The question of non profit funding is not one of the easy ones and I am sure that many will have more than one sleepless night as they consider action on worthy requests. It is at these times that I am sure that they feel the weight of their decisions because, ideology aside, it never feels good to say nay to those who spend their days helping others.