Citizens Advocate for Education, Nonprofit Funding at Public Hearing

Carroll County citizens asked the commissioners to reconsider funding for education and nonprofits in the fiscal year 2014 county budget at a public hearing Monday night.

A majority of the 37 speakers asked the commissioners to flat fund county-supported nonprofits and/or to fund the public schools at the amount requested by the board of education. 

In the proposed budget, seven nonprofits will see a 3 percent reduction in funding in fiscal year 2014 and a 5 percent reduction in coming years. Representatives spoke on behalf of Human Service Programs, the Youth Service Bureau, the Circle of Caring and other nonprofits asking the commissioners to flat fund all county-supported nonprofits.

An email from Rape Crisis Intervention Services of Carroll County (RCIS) to residents said the total cost of flat funding all nonprofits is $88,000.

Members of the Carroll County Education Association (CCEA) and the Carroll Association of School Employees (CASE) joined with citizens for a street-side demonstration and march to the Scott Center before the public hearing. 

The board of commissioners voted to fund Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) at $163.5 million, with an additional $500,000 coming from the Board of Education's fund balance to total $164 million. This is $3.1 million less than the $166.6 million requested by the Board of Education for 2014.

There were a handful of citizens who thanked the commissioners for cutting taxes in the proposed fiscal year 2014 budget and for creating the Education Opportunity Fund, a $400,000 fund which will help offset education costs for homeschooled and private school students. 

The board of commissioners is scheduled to adopt its fiscal year 2014 budget on May 28. 

See Also:

• Citizens Demand Full Funding of Education Budget at Commissioner's Forum
• School Superintendent Lays Out More Budget Cuts
• Carroll County Commissioners Vote Unanimously to Cut Taxes in FY14
• Carroll County Commissioners Vote to Keep Money for Employee Raises in New Budget