During Monday’s Marshall County Commissioners meeting several organizations that receive funding from the county gave updates of their programming in preparation of the 2019 budget.
Nancy Cox from the Humane Society said they had a total of 940 animal calls in 2017. 517 of those calls were in the county. Overcrowding continues to be a problem. Last year 413 animals were adopted but the still euthanized 28 dogs and 294 cats.
Cox said a new law that goes into effect in 2021 and will have a major impact on her budget. The law requires every animal that leaves the Humane Society must be spayed or neutered. She said they don’t know how they will be able to fund that new law.
Cox thanked the commissioners for the $40,000 they pay annually for services.
Jodi Smith, Director of the Marshall Starke Development Center told the commissioners they operate on a $5.9 million budget with 128 full time staff members and 60 part timers. Their enrollment is 241 in the adult program, 148 in Head Start and 40 in Early Head Start.
Smith told the commissioners that being able to purchase fuel from the county saved them $3,324 in the third quarter of 2017. She also said their clients provide 87 hours of volunteer time to a variety of agencies in the county.
Marshall County assists Marshall Starke with $105,000 annually. Starke County gives them $40,000 and Fulton County gives $30,000.
Alan Loehr from the Culver Boys & Girls Club said they have been operating since 1998. They have 358 members and a daily average attendance of 96.
The operating budget is $217,266. The club currently uses the Culver School buildings for their programs and has the advantage of a working relationship with the Culver Academies for additional programming and volunteers.
The county gives the club $5,500 annually.
The county will begin the budget process in the next month or so and these organizations want the commissioners to know how much their additional funding benefits their programs.
