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Effingham resident presses commissioners for clarity on Project Concern funding; commissioners say appropriation process ongoing
Summary
A resident of Effingham asked Atchison County commissioners on April 8 to clarify whether county funding to Project Concern and the Effingham senior center will be cut. Commissioners said the county’s appropriation process is ongoing and that decisions about Project Concern operations rest with the nonprofit’s board.
Nancy Keith of Effingham told the Atchison County commission during public comment on April 8 that senior citizens in the western part of the county are worried by rumors that the Effingham Town and Country senior citizen center might close due to county funding cuts.
Keith said volunteers deliver 14 Meals on Wheels each day in her area and that residents rely on the center for services. She asked commissioners for clarification about how much county funding Project Concern historically has received, how long recent funding was intended to last, and when the organization would receive new budget numbers.
County commissioners responded that they do not control Project Concern’s internal board decisions. Commissioners described how county appropriations to outside organizations have been affected by county budget choices over the past two years, including use of ARPA dollars and adjustments when the county certified a lower mill levy. Commissioners told Keith that historically the county appropriated $125,000 to Project Concern and that in recent years some funds were covered by ARPA. They also said the county has started budget workshops and has invited appropriated agencies to present funding needs; the county’s budget is not finalized until August.
Keith said Project Concern members had been told the worst-case scenario that no county funding would be forthcoming and that the nonprofit’s board might vote to close the Effingham facility sooner than the county finalizes its budget. Commissioners urged Project Concern board members and Effingham residents to communicate directly with each other and noted commissioners’ support for the organization while explaining the limits of the county’s authority and the current status of the county budget process.
What was on the record - Public commenter: Nancy Keith, Effingham resident, asked for clarity about Project Concern funding and said senior-center users feared discrimination and imminent closure. - Commissioners: Described historical appropriations (county staff cited $125,000 historically), recent use of ARPA to cover some payments, and cautioned that the county cannot guarantee future appropriations until the budget is finalized in August.
Context and next steps County staff said they had invited appropriated agencies to budget workshops and that Project Concern representatives were welcome to present needs and documentation. Commissioners encouraged local volunteers and civic groups to provide facts and support while the budget process proceeds.
