Silverton Family Learning Center director outlines funding shortfall, seeks county help and donor strategy

Debbie Harrison Zarkas, the newly hired director of the Silverton Family Learning Center, told the San Juan County Board of Commissioners on July 23 that the center is operating under significant financial strain and may run a deficit this winter without new revenue.

The director said she moved to the area in late June and has nearly three weeks on the job. "I am aware of the financial difficulties that the learning center is having and learning more and more, the longer I'm there," Harrison Zarkas said. She proposed a donor program, a September work session with the commissioners and pursuing grants and other funding sources.

Why it matters: The family learning center provides early-childhood care relied on by working families and is partly supported by county lodging-tax funds. A sustained loss of funding would affect workforce parents and preschool access in Silverton.

Harrison Zarkas gave the commissioners figures for the center's most recent budget. Total expenses were reported at about $385,000–$386,000 annually, with salaries accounting for the bulk of that expense; payroll runs roughly $23,000–$25,000 per month. The board told her the county provided a one-time $45,000 payment earlier this year from lodging-tax money to avert an immediate crisis.

"One of the things that I would like to do to bring in some more income is to do a donor program," she said, describing tiers of donor recognition and outreach to larger regional corporations in addition to local businesses. She also said she is talking with a grant-writing consultant in Montrose and has experience winning grants for health and social-service organizations.

Commissioners and staff discussed other short-term supports. County staff indicated the commission has in the past purchased excess TANF funds from other counties and suggested those reserves could be examined to see whether TANF-sourced dollars might help cover scholarships or subsidized slots for qualifying families. "What you could do is talk to Mark as to what qualifies because TANF is ... aid for needy families," a staff member said, noting programmatic eligibility rules would apply.

The commissioners cautioned that lodging-tax revenues used for the center were originally intended to support projects and match funds, and said a recurring county subsidy at the level of the one-time $45,000 would be difficult to sustain. They raised the prospect — and legal/process complexities — of increasing the lodging tax via ballot measure, an option that would take time and broader community discussion.

Harrison Zarkas asked the commissioners to consider a September workshop, after she has had time to assemble clearer financial statements and a recovery plan. "By September, I feel like I will have my feet under me. I'll have a very clear picture of our financial situation. I can present the financials to you in an understandable way," she said.

The commission did not take immediate action on funding but signaled willingness to discuss options during budget season. Commissioners encouraged continued communication and asked Harrison Zarkas to share budget documents and a proposal for short- and longer-term funding at a future meeting.

Ending: Harrison Zarkas said she will circulate an invoice and follow up by email; she also requested the board work with the center on scheduling the proposed September work session to explore donor, grant and lodging-tax options.