Floyd County considering cuts to community group funding

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

One way for Floyd County to help deal with its budget challenges this year is to not spend money that it doesn’t have to spend in the new fiscal year.

For several groups that have made requests for county support, that will mean receiving less than they had asked for — or nothing at all.

TLC: The Learning Center was both the biggest winner and the biggest comparative loser. The child care center is tentatively receiving $25,000 in the fiscal year 2022 Floyd County budget, the first time it has received county funds.

However, TLC had asked for $150,000, to help in its move from leased space in downtown Charles City to its own area in the 500 North Grand Building, the former middle school.

The Floyd County Fair will also get $25,000 from the county to help finish the building construction that will finish bringing the fairgrounds back from the devastation of the 2019 Memorial Day tornado. But the fair had requested $50,000.

Some programs are receiving not only less than they asked for, but less than they received in the current fiscal year.

The Floyd County Community Foundation had requested to receive $7,500, the same as the current year, but it’s marked down to receive $0 in the new fiscal year.

The Floyd County Historical Society requested a increase of the current year’s $3,000 to $5,000 in the next fiscal year, but it will receive $0.

The Charles City Chamber of Commerce, which has had to deal with declining revenue because of events canceled by COVID concerns, had for the first time asked Floyd County to provide some funding.

It had requested $3,523, an amount based on the population of Floyd County outside of Charles City. The supervisors have tentatively decided to give the Chamber $1,500.

Some of the amounts, such as for AMR Ambulance or the North Cedar Aviation Authority, are set by contract or agreement.

Even though the supervisors turned down or scaled back more than $200,000 in requests from community groups, it is still giving more to these groups that in the current year.

The board has tentatively agreed to give almost $404,000 to the groups, up from the almost $374,000 awarded in the current year, but not close to the $609,000 that was requested.

Final decisions on community group funding are not official until the county budget is certified, after a public hearing in late March.