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Early-childhood nonprofit says city fiscal-agent change left $19,536 carryover inaccessible
Summary
Lorraine Greene Whitehead of Early Childhood Western Tidewater told the council the organization became its own fiscal agent after Franklin City stopped serving that role; she said their books show a $19,536.92 carryover and that losing the city's usual $13,000 contribution creates a substantial shortfall for their $194,000 budget.
Lorraine Greene Whitehead, executive director of Early Childhood Western Tidewater, told the Franklin City Council during citizen time that the nonprofit is now its own fiscal agent after the city stopped serving in that role.
Whitehead said the organization’s accountant, the city treasurer and the city director of finance agreed the group’s carryover balance is $19,536.92. She said the city previously provided roughly $13,000 annually, and that losing that support plus the carryover — about $32,536 total — creates a “substantial deficit” for an organization with a roughly $194,000 annual budget.
Whitehead described services the nonprofit provides across Franklin and Southampton County, including training (16 hours required for licensing), biannual class observations, crib distribution and safe-sleep training, a Dolly Parton Imagination Library book program, and partnerships with area agencies. She asked the council for help identifying the next steps to recover carryover funds and to continue services.
Mayor Kaplan suggested Whitehead request placement on a future council agenda so council members can ask follow-up questions and provide more formal attention than the citizen-comment period allows. Whitehead said she will do so.
Why it matters: The nonprofit provides early-childhood supports used by Franklin families and said a relatively small local funding change could materially affect its ability to deliver services to children ages birth to 5.
What the council said: Council members expressed sympathy and support; the city manager’s office and finance staff previously reviewed the organization’s records, according to Whitehead. No immediate grant or appropriation was approved at the meeting; Whitehead and staff agreed to pursue next steps including a future agenda slot for detailed follow-up.
