Level funding is what organizations will likely receive from Madison County in the upcoming fiscal year budget.
For weeks, supervisors have been hearing presentations from various groups, both in and outside of the county, regarding annual contributions. Some, including the Madison Boys & Girls Club and Foothills Child Advocacy, are discretionary while others, such as the Rappahannock Juvenile Detention Center and Virginia Cooperative Extension are not.
Collectively, 33 agencies have requested approximately $2.65 million in funding, $240,000 more than the current year. Approximately $63,000 of the increase is mandatory, based on per-capita funding formulas. There’s also a $50,000 increase for parks and recreation and a $10,000 increase for the library.
Other requests are not mandatory. The Madison Boys & Girls Club is seeking $10,000, $9,500 more than the current year. The Madison Learning Center is seeking $50,000, $40,000 more than the current year.
“My inclination is level funding except for required increases,” supervisor Jim Jewett said. He said he couldn’t see making any contribution increases until the rest of the work is done on the budget to determine the status of revenues and expenses.
Supervisor Dustin Dawson said he would be concerned about making a contribution particularly to the learning center as it’s still too early to commit.
Jewett said the center has received some suggestions from Skyline CAP as to how it could improve its financial situation.
“I want to make sure it’s sustainable,” Dawson said.
Ultimately, supervisors decided that for now, every contribution that isn’t required would be funded at the same level as the current year’s budget. The Madison Free Clinic, Madison Community Cats and Legal Aid Works would receive no funding as all three are new requests and were not funded in the current year’s budget.
