Local nonprofits and municipal partners outline funding requests in Beaufort County budget workshop
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Summary
Multiple outside agencies and town recreation programs presented funding requests to the county commissioners, including Bath Recreation (recurring $15,000 and a one‑time stadium lighting plan), Boys & Girls Club, Food Bank of the Albemarle, Ruth’s House, Open Door Women’s Shelter and others; commissioners tabled decisions for the budget process.
Representatives from multiple outside agencies and municipal partners presented their annual funding requests during Beaufort County’s expansion‑budget workshop.
Key requests included:
- Bath Recreation asked to continue $15,000 in recurring support and requested help with a larger $125,000 lighting project for four ball fields; Bath Recreation said it has saved $25,000 toward lights and asked commissioners to consider a contribution to allow phased work (repair breakers/replace existing lights and add lights to the two unlit fields).
- Boys & Girls Club requested an additional $13,334 to restore its county funding to $40,000, and Beaufort‑area after‑school programs (including the Bill Haven after‑school program) requested increases to bring recurring support closer to prior levels.
- The Food Bank of the Albemarle requested $10,000 to defray the cost of transporting donated food into Beaufort County. The food‑bank director said the agency distributes large quantities of fresh produce and lean proteins to local hunger‑relief programs and warned that statewide benefit changes could increase local food needs.
- Ruth’s House (domestic‑violence services) requested $500 additional funding for operations and said last year the program received 249 crisis‑line calls, provided 1,340 shelter nights from January–April and sheltered 57 individuals in the prior year.
- Open Door Women’s Shelter requested $5,000 for operations and said it is expanding from a nine‑bed emergency shelter to a 15‑bed facility, expecting to increase annual residents served from about 25 women and 11 children to roughly 55–60 residents after expansion.
- The BHM regional library requested additional funding for hourly clerks and said many clerks are part‑time at roughly 13–15 hours weekly; the library’s regional director requested increased wages for clerks in small branches.
Multiple other line items were presented (fossil museum, historic preservation, Green Lamp utility assistance, youth services such as Pamlico Pals and local recreation departments). Several organizations requesting increases were not present; commissioners did not take votes at the workshop and deferred decisions to the budget review schedule.
Commissioners and staff frequently reminded presenters that continuation funding already in the proposed budget will remain and that additional requests will be weighed against available recurring and one‑time revenues.