🎥 City commission to take 2nd look at outside agency funding cuts

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays city commissioners will again review the 2018 draft budget during their work session Thursday evening with continued discussion of possible cuts in city funding to General Fund outside agencies.

Although most years he “leaves it all alone,” Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty has already recommended a 10 percent cut for Fort Hays State University (FHSU) scholarships and a 10 percent cut in the allocation to the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development (ECCED).

“Our city staff was challenged this year to find money for employee pay raises,” Dougherty said. “They did a very good job of tightening belts, making cuts where it’s beneficial yet shouldn’t affect the public at large that much.”

“Because of that I didn’t feel it was right to hold all the outside agencies harmless when everybody else was finding ways to cut (their budgets).”

FHSU scholarships would be cut $10,000 to $90,000 for 2018. ECCD would be cut $8,755 to $78,795 in 2018 city allocations.

There was no proposed cut to Social Services which is again requesting $164,000 to be distributed among the American Red Cross-Ellis Co. Chpt., Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cancer Council of Ellis Co., CASA of the High Plains, First Call for Help, Options, Hays Senior Center and DSNWK Access Transportation. “In my opinion, that’s should be one of the last things that gets cut,” Dougherty added.

The $26,828 request by the Downtown Hays Development Corporation (DHDC) would be moved into the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau budget to be funded by the transient guest tax.

City commissioners had a lively discussion during their July 6 work session with an apparent consensus that more cuts should be made to the ECCD. There were disagreements about making new cuts to DHDC and whether cutting dollars to FHSU sends “the wrong message.”

Other agenda items for the July 20 work session include a construction engineering agreement for the airport wildlife fence, addendums to the agreements with the three city employee unions, and an issuance of general obligation refunding bonds Series 2017B.

The complete agenda may be seen here.