By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
Each year the Ellis County Commission receives requests for funding from almost two dozen agencies, and they provide about $1 million in funding.
On Tuesday the commission heard presentations from representatives of 22 local agencies. The agencies requested $1.312 million, an increase of $114,849 from 2023 funding. The commission asked the agencies to keep their requests the same as the prior year.
After hearing all the presentations Commissioner Michael Berges thanked the organizations for all the work that they do but said the request, which equals about an 8 percent increase from 2023 may be difficult to reach.
“I think we’re just going to have some tough decisions ahead to see if we can meet all the requests,” Berges said. “I don’t know that we will be able to meet all the requests that came through on the agencies. It doesn't deplete the work that they do, but we are going to have some hard budgeting questions to answer in the next couple of months.”
You can find a complete list of funding requests below.
The largest increased request came from the Ellis County Historical Society. They requested an increase of $75,000 for $175,000.
Historical Society Executive Director Amanda Rupp told the commission that the request is equal to previous funding levels. The highest funding support for the historical society was in 2013, according to Rupp.
“The money from both the county and the city is to pay utilities on the campus and to retain the small staff that we have currently,” Rupp said.
She highlighted their efforts to save the stone church and remodel the basement, allowing them to open the Main Street location again. She said the renovation plans for 2023 are on track. That includes the new HVAC system.
In 2022 the historical society was able to raise almost $150,000 and another $465,000 in grants and donations so far in 2023. All of that funding is for capital improvements, and Rupp said the majority of their operating expenses are publicly funded.
Commissioner Neal Younger thanked Rupp for the work they have done and shared the story of trying to donate his dad’s Word War II artifacts several years ago. The historical society would not accept them.
“When we first started this that was a trainwreck,” Younger said. “Thank you for what you guys have done.”
Five other agency requests were larger than the funding they received in 2023. Those included Grow Hays’ request of $180,000, $15,000 more than it received for 2023 but the same as it requested in 2022.
High Plains Mental Health requested an increase of $16,000 for $296,084. The Ellis Nutrition Center also increased its request by $5,000 for $25,715, and the Northwest Silver-haired Legislature’s request of $500 was added as funding for an outside agency.
The commission did not further discuss the funding requests at Tuesday’s meeting and will consider them at a later date.
2024 Ellis County outside agency funding requests
Western Kansas Child Advocacy - $7,500
CASA of the High Plains -$4,750
DSNWK - $250,000
DSNWK - Part C Program - $120,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters - $5,000
High Plains Mental Health - $296,084
GrowHays - $180,000
Ellis County Conservation District - $72,646
Ellis County Historical Society - $175,000
Ellis Alliance Association - $1,750
Foster Grandparents - $8,552
Senior Companion - $22,050
Hays Senior Center - $37,115
NWKAAA - $30,000
Victoria Meal Site - $2,960
Ellis Nutrition Center - $25,715
Center for Life Experience - $5,000
Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services - $10,000
Heartland Community Foundation - $5,000
DSNWK (ACCESS Transportation) - $50,000
Northwest Silver-haired Legislature - $500
Humane Society - $2,600
TOTAL - $1,312,222