COUNTY
• • • S E R V I C E S • • • Meals Wheels ON
450K for Meals on Wheels, other programs retained in 2019-20 budget plan after debate Commissioners to keep nonprofit funding in budget
1202 Candy Cane Lane, Conroe 936-756-5828 • www.mowmc.org
on Wheels must cover unspec- i ed renovation costs for the building it is moving into this fall, located at S. Second St., Conroe, including paving a park- ing lot and increasing walk-in coolers and freezer space. Noack said in a phone interview the county has already invested in Meals on Wheels by providing it with the refurbished food bank building that the county previously acquired. Day said the building is subject to a land use restriction agreement requiring it to be used to house a nonpro t because it previously received federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Aer the , in funding was restored to the various non- pro ts, Noack said he believes tax cuts made by Montgomery County this year give residents the option to use the funds for nonpro ts in the manner they deem appropriate individually. “I still believe we put the power back in the hands of the taxpayers,” Noack said. “We put . million collectively in their hands. ... I would like to see our community ... come together and take care of their own.” Montgomery County Commis- sioners Court was scheduled to adopt the budget and tax rate Sept. , aer press time. VANESSA HOLT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT
we thought we could do for about six months.” Precinct Commissioner
BY ANDREWCHRISTMAN AND BEN THOMPSON
THREE PROGRAMS serve more than 1,000 seniors across Montgomery County:
Over the course of scal year - budget talks in August, Montgomery County Commis- sioners Court rst agreed to cut funding to four area nonpro ts, including Montgomery County Meals on Wheels, and then restored , to the pro- grams in a - vote Aug. . Precinct Commissioner James Metts proposed carrying contingency funds from the - budget to cover funding to the four entities for the budget year. Meals on Wheels will receive the full , it receives annually. Contin- gency funds will also provide , . for Montgomery County Youth Services, , for the Crisis Assistance Center and , for the Montgomery County Women’s Center. Precinct Commissioner Charlie Riley, who voted in favor of funding, asked to schedule a budgeting workshop with local nonpro ts in February to learn more about their opera- tions and how county funding aects them. “The people that run these organizations are very, very dedicated, and we’re not throwing you to the wolves,” said Precinct Commissioner Mike Meador, who also voted in favor of the funding. “We were just trying to reach an eective tax rate, and this is one cut that
James Noack, who voted against the funding, said he believes the way nonpro ts are funded needs to change. “There are a lot of great organizations that serve our citizens every day that we’re not able to provide funding for,” Noack said. “It shouldn’t come from the taxpayer always.” Summer Day, Montgomery County Meals on Wheels executive director, said the funds will allow her to apply for matching funds from state and federal sources. Montgomery County Meals on Wheels has been receiving about , annually from the county for at least the past years, according to Day. Meals on Wheels also receives funding from private donations and the state, including grants from the Texas Department of Agriculture. A audit report indicates Meals on Wheels had a total of . million in revenue. Day said private donations do not count as interest to receive state-level funding, but the county contributions do. “We have to show them the local government cares enough to support our services and from there, we can use that to secure more funds from state and fed- eral [sources],” Day said. In a letter to the commission- ers Aug. , Day also said Meals
CONGREGATE DINING
TRANSPORT
HOME DELIVERY
The service works with networks of over 200 volunteers every week.
The service has a waitlist of about 150 seniors at any given time, and officials said the number is growing.
COUNTY FUNDING TONONPROFITS:
FUNDING RESTORED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019-20 Montgomery County Commissioners Court agreed Aug. 13 to include $450,000 for nonprofits in the 2019-20 budget.
Meals onWheels
$134,844
Montgomery County Youth Services
$203,952.50
Youth Services offers crisis counseling, crisis intervention and response, teen pregnancy services, and shelter for area youth and their families.
Crisis Assistance Center
$109,562
Community Assistance Center is a social services organization that provides basic needs services and long-term case management in Montgomery County.
Montgomery CountyWomen’s Center $6,250
The center provides a 24-hour hotline, safe shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy and legal services to survivors of violence and stalking.
SOURCES:MONTGOMERYCOUNTYMEALSONWHEELS,MONTGOMERYCOUNTY COMMISSIONERSCOURT/COMMUNITY IMPACTNEWSPAPER
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