By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

As Ellis County Commission continues to work to set its 2017 budget the commission heard funding requests from outside agencies at Monday’s meeting.

The requests from the 14 agencies totaled more than $1.4 million.

Ellis County Extension Council – $265,000
High Plains Mental Health Center – $270,844.64 (increase of $25,000 from the previous year)
Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas – $238,100
Hays Area Children’s Center – $139,000
Ellis County Council on Aging – $147,472 (increase of $10,900)
Ellis County Historical Society – $174,420 (increase of $74,000)
Soil Conservation District – $74,350
ACCESS Transportation – $71,844 (increase of $9,800)
Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development – $47,500
Human Society of the High Plains – $4,500 (10% decrease from previous years)
Ellis Alliance – $5,000
Hays Arts Council – $5,000
Junior Free Fair – $5,000

The county also received its first ever request from the Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center. The center, which recently opened an office in Hays, helps victims of child abuse.

Commissioner Barb Wasinger said she would like to fund everyone’s request but it’s unfair to ask the county department’s to cut three-percent and not cut funding for outside agencies.

“It’s hard to tell my staff, elected officials (and) the department heads to cut their budget by three-percent and not do that to the rest of them.”

The commission will hold budget work sessions at 9 a.m. on June 16th and June 30th to discuss department budgets.