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CRA agrees to send letter asking county to consider payroll funding for Martin Digital History
Summary
At its May meeting the Martin County Community Redevelopment Agency voted to write a single letter of support asking the Board of County Commissioners to consider funding payroll for Martin Digital History, a county archival program facing grant expiration and a $100,000 payroll shortfall.
The Martin County Community Redevelopment Agency voted to write a letter asking the Board of County Commissioners to consider funding payroll for Martin Digital History, a county archival program whose grants are expiring and that needs roughly $100,000 to maintain staff through December.
Julie Priest, a volunteer historical researcher who said she normally represents Rio but was speaking on behalf of “all of Martin County and anything having to do with historic preservation and history,” told the CRA that the county archival department called Martin Digital History needs payroll funding after its grants end. “We would be asking Martin County, and my hope is that we will come up with some seed money through donations to help with the hundred thousand dollars that is needed for payroll to continue this department,” Priest said.
Board members discussed whether to act immediately. Susan Korres of the Office of Community Development said the CRA typically issues one letter of support. After a short discussion in which multiple board members said they supported preserving historic records, an unnamed CRA board member moved to write a letter to the County Commission asking it to consider budget funding for the position; another board member seconded the motion. The board voted in favor by voice vote.
The motion directs CRA staff to prepare a single letter of support for the county budget process; the CRA did not commit any funds and made no budget appropriation at the meeting. Priest and other speakers encouraged members to attend a June 2 meeting at the Cummings Library to coordinate community support. Priest and CRA members noted they would also seek donations to reduce the county contribution requested.
Background: Priest described Martin Digital History’s role digitizing documents and photographs so they remain available to descendants and researchers. She said department supervisor Georgian Charns (spelled in the packet) has relevant qualifications, and that supporters planned to appear before the Board of County Commissioners during the county’s July budget workshops. The CRA did not set a dollar amount in the motion; Priest said the amount needed for payroll was about $100,000 based on information she had two weeks earlier and that details were still developing.
The CRA’s action was limited to preparing a letter of support; no formal County Commission appropriation was made or guaranteed by CRA action at the meeting.
