Nonprofits ask Randolph County commissioners for increased funding in FY 2025-26 budget hearing

Multiple outside agencies made presentations to the Randolph County Board of Commissioners on June 24 as part of the FY 2025–26 budget public hearing, asking the county to increase appropriations to maintain or expand services amid growing need and rising costs.

Mark Hensley, executive director of Randolph Senior Adults, told commissioners senior services are facing sustained demand and rising unit costs. "As of the end of 2020, the 65-and-older segment of our population has exceeded the birth-to-age-17 population," Hensley said, highlighting that 23% of Randolph County adults are 65 or older. He said meal deliveries climbed from about 72,457 meals in 2017–18 to a projected 105,000 this year, and that a new catering contract will raise per‑meal costs from $4.85 to $5.25. Hensley estimated the meal-cost increase alone would raise program costs by roughly $315,000 and added vehicle and RCATS transit costs contributed another estimated $234,000 in additional county share.

OE Enterprises, which provides vocational and day services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, described program services and funding sources. Connie Crimmins, development coordinator, said county funds blend with Medicaid reimbursements, state employment programs and grants. Jennifer Pollock, a program participant, told commissioners she values paid work and friendships at OE.

Communities In Schools of Randolph County reported service expansion: the group served 522 case-managed students this past school year and provided more than 12,000 tier-1 supports that reached roughly 28,305 students in duplicated counts. The group asked commissioners to continue support for programs that include reading buddies, attendance incentives and career-expo activities.

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater High Point asked for $39,400 from the county — an increase of $14,400 over last year — to make up for an expiring state grant and sustain homework assistance, healthy-habits programming and staff retention for an Asheboro club that served more than 200 young people annually.

Randolph County Family Crisis Center briefed commissioners on shelter and advocacy services, reporting that in the most recent quarter it served 540 individuals (164 through Emmy's House and 376 through domestic-violence and sexual-assault services). The center said it used $55,000 in county strategic funds this year to create a chief program officer to stabilize programming and reduce executive turnover.

The Randolph Arts Guild requested funding to hire a full-time program coordinator to restore pre‑pandemic programming capacity and continue state subgranting that distributed nearly $50,000 to county nonprofits last year.

Why it matters: the presentations documented service-demand increases, inflationary cost pressures and gaps left by expiring grants. Agencies urged the county to sustain or increase support to avoid service reductions.

Quotes and attributions "We have already hit what the state is projected to hit," Mark Hensley said about Randolph's senior population proportion. "None of our participants work for under minimum wage," Connie Crimmins said about paid employment at OE Enterprises.

Fiscal specifics and caveats - Randolph Senior Adults: meals rose from ~72,457 (2017–18) to ~105,000 (current year); per-meal contract cost increases from $4.85 to $5.25; combined program cost pressures estimated at "over a half million dollars" from meals and vehicle costs (figures presented as organization estimates). - Boys & Girls Club: requested $39,400 (an increase of $14,400) to replace part of an expiring $144,000 state grant. - Economic Development and other county staff will integrate outside-agency requests into the overall budget process; no final funding decisions were taken at the hearing.

Ending Commissioners closed the public budget hearing after hearing from agencies and announced follow-up budget work; agencies said they will provide additional data where allocations or outcomes were projected but not yet finalized.