Fund decreases in the 2014 budget approved by the county council Thursday includes a 3-percent cut in disbursements to nonprofits. The heads of county nonprofits had presented increased budget projections at county meetings in recent months, such as an extra $10,000 for the 4-H Council, $18,000 more for the Animal Welfare League and $14,000 for Cardinal Services. Commissioner Ron Truex said at the Aug. 27 meeting that commissioners asked the nonprofits to cut what they could. “I don’t think they expected an increase. Everybody else has cut them,” such as state funding sources, he remarked. “The reality is, we don’t have any more money. I respect the fact that they wanted us to make up the shortfall, but it’s just not there.” Cardinal had received $93,334 each year between 2011 and 2013, a drop from $103,704 received from the county in 2010. Cardinal requested $108,001 from the county for 2014 but will receive $90,534. 4-H received $40,611 each year from 2010 to 2013, and requested $51,574 for 2014. The organization will receive $39,393 next year. And the Animal Welfare League received $62,861 in 2010 to 2013, and requested $81,857 for 2014, but will receive $60,975 from the county. Also cut by about 3 percent were the St. Joe River Basin, down from $450 to $437; Home Health Care, down from $42,750 to $41,468; the Kosciusko County Historical Society, down from $20,255 to $19,647; the Beaman Home, down from $28,573 to $27,716; the County Council on Aging, which dropped from $28,573 to $27,716; and the Economic Development Corp., down from $152,000 to $147,440. Only the Bowen Center received its requested increase, from $528,080 to $542,870, as mandated by the state.
