Haines Borough Assembly funding for local nonprofits dropped again this year, from $94,300 last year to $76,100 approved at Tuesday’s meeting.
Manager David Sosa, Mayor Jan Hill and assembly members Diana Lapham, Mike Case and Ron Jackson scored 10 applications as part of the borough’s annual nonprofit funding process. The matrices used for scoring measure how the nonprofit contributes to economic development, to what extent it serves vulnerable residents, and other qualities.
When combined, the scores ranked Chilkat Valley Preschool lowest – receiving $3,901.50, or about 30 percent of its $13,000 request – and Southeast Senior Services highest – receiving 100 percent of its $6,600 request.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Chilkat Valley Preschool supporters made an emotional plea for restored funding. Board president Alissa Henry said she was confused by the preschool’s ranking, as it received the highest score last year.
“It doesn’t make sense that Chilkat Valley Preschool can score the highest of all the organizations one year and get the most points, and the next year we are the lowest when we submitted essentially the same application both years. I can only assume there is some subjective reason that the borough didn’t want to fully fund us,” Henry said.
In an interview this week, Henry said she was disappointed. The news was especially difficult to take given the preschool was denied space in the Haines School last week, she said.
“It really does hurt the preschool financially, especially right now when we are looking at having to put a lot of money into the new location,” she said. “That’s another $10,000 that we’re short on our budget that we’re going to have to fundraise for or cut.”
Preschool supporter Lexie DeWitt choked up during her testimony. “Please support us as our children are our future, your future, and hopefully Haines’ future,” DeWitt said.
The preschool wasn’t the only organization irked by its partial funding. Takshanuk Watershed Council executive director Meredith Pochardt wrote to the assembly about the nonprofit’s allocation; it received $3,901.50 of the $9,400 it requested for environmental education programs.
The borough distributes money to nonprofits from three pots of money: the “community chest” from the general fund, the Medical Service Area fund, and the Economic Development and Tourism fund.
Because of a decision made by the assembly during the budget process this year, Takshanuk was unable to ask for money from the Title III forest receipts fund as it has done in the past, and instead had to vie against other nonprofits for limited general funds. (During the budget cycle, the assembly decided to use all remaining Title III funds, or $272,272, for replacing an Excursion Inlet bridge.)
“I understand the need for this bridge and the importance that it has for the borough,” Pochardt wrote. “However, as critical infrastructure, there are other funding sources available that could replace this bridge. The Takshanuk Watershed Council would be willing to assist the borough in seeking alternative funding for the bridge. Education funding can be much more limited.”
Assembly member Ron Jackson moved to transfer $7,500 of the $272,000 in Title III funds to Takshanuk, and transfer the $3,901.50 they received in general fund money over to the preschool, but the motion failed. Assembly members George Campbell, Diana Lapham, Mike Case and Margaret Friedenauer were opposed.
Lapham said the borough has “an obligation and responsibility” to replace the bridge in Excursion Inlet. “I understand Takshanuk’s record of getting grants, but the question in my mind is then why don’t they go out and get a grant to replenish what they are not getting from us in our borough grants?”
Lapham said this year’s level of funding should send a message to nonprofits. “My idea was it sends a message to the nonprofits to start tightening your belts because the money is going to get skinnier and skinnier and skinnier.”
Assembly member George Campbell said if it was up to him, he wouldn’t give nonprofits any money from the “community chest,” and would use it instead for the wastewater treatment plant.
“An economy that is run by nonprofits is actually a false economy,” Campbell said. “We are not going to survive in this community if all we do is support the nonprofits.”
Sosa pointed out that while the preschool and Takshanuk received only partial funding – 30 and 34 percent of their requests, respectively – they still received more money than other higher-scoring applicants who requested less.
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, residents Carol Tuynman and Darsie Culbeck testified that nonprofits are a major economic driver in Haines.
Culbeck said many people who choose to live here do so because of the services nonprofits offer. If those nonprofits were to go away, their paychecks would go with them, he said.
“Those people can choose to leave if there’s no preschool, no private preschool. They’ll go someplace else. They will take their money – hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll – someplace else. If there’s no Senior Center, those seniors who are getting their retirement checks, they will go somewhere else,” Culbeck said.
Assembly grants to nonprofits totaled $74,500 in 2007 and climbed annually before peaking in 2012 and 2013 at $154,696.
This year, in addition to Takshanuk and the Chilkat Valley Preschool each receiving $3,901.50, nonprofits received: Big Brothers Big Sisters ($1,800), Haines Friends of Recycling ($4,000), Alaska Avalanche Information Center ($2,800), Haines Dolphins Swim Team ($2,160), Southeast Senior Services ($6,600), Southeast Alaska Independent Living ($5,000), Lynn Canal Counseling ($15,000) and Southeast Alaska State Fair ($17,000).
The Haines Animal Rescue Kennel received $14,000 from the “community chest” in an assembly decision several months ago. That decision arose when Sosa proposed slashing HARK’s contract and community members lobbied the assembly.