Washington’s City Council, during its meeting Monday, will consider at least five options regarding funding for outside agencies, including those that perform economic-development services for the city.

City Manager Bobby Roberson explains those options in a memorandum to the mayor and council members. Last month, Roberson asked the council to provide him with funding amounts so he and city staff could use them as they prepare a recommended budget for the upcoming 2016-2017 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Thirteen organizations have submitted requests for city funds totaling $218,150 during the upcoming fiscal year.

The five options are:

• appropriate the same amount of funding that each agency is allocated in the city’s current budget;

• appropriate funding for each agency that is 10 percent less than it received in the current budget;
• appropriate funding for each agency that is 50 percent less than it received in the current budget;

• not fund any agencies;

• the council deciding the dollar amount for each agency it decides to fund.

Currently, the outside agencies and economic-development entities receive a combined $159,075 in city dollars. Under the 10-percent reduction option, that amount would fall to $143,168. Under the 50-percent reduction option, the combined allocations would be $79,538.

Arts of the Pamlico, which is requesting $50,000 for the next fiscal year, would receive $12,960 under the 10-percent reduction option, or $7,200 under the 50-percent reduction alternative. The Beaufort County Boys & Girls Club, which requested $20,000 for the upcoming fiscal year, would receive $12,960 under the 10-percent reduction option, or $7,200 under the 50-percent reduction alternative. Each of those entities received $14,400 for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

The Washington Harbor District Alliance, currently funded at $55,800, would receive $50,220 under the 10-percent reduction option or $27,900 under the 50-percent reduction option.

Agencies seeking more funding in the upcoming budget include the Beaufort County Boys & Girls Club, Zion Shelter, Wright Flight and the Blind Center. The Purpose of God Outreach Center, Cornerstone Community Learning Center and Beaufort-Hyde-Martin Regional Library seek the same funding they received for this fiscal year. The library’s funding is part of a reciprocal agreement involving the city-owned Brown Library.

Eagle’s Wings, a Washington-based food pantry, wants a credit on its utilities bills instead of a direct contribution from the city. Eagle’s Wings pays about $9,000 a year to the city for utilities.

As for the economic-development organizations, the Washington Harbor District Alliance, North Carolina Estuarium and Arts of the Pamlico each requested more money that allocated to them this fiscal year. The Estuarium, which received $18,000 this fiscal year, seeks $25,000 for the next fiscal year. The Washington Harbor District Alliance, allocated $55,800 this fiscal year, requested $58,000 for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.