Another budget season, another look at partner agency funding

Four outside agencies that receive money from the City of Newton may see funding adjustments this coming budget season.

In a city council budget meeting a presentation from staff showed Newton Main Street, Newton YMCA, Jasper County Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and United Way of Jasper County have not locked into a contract. Candace Streeter, senior financial analyst, said numbers could fluctuate.

“Those numbers can stay the same, they can go up, they can go down,” Streeter said to council members during the Nov. 17 workshop. “Again, just to let you know those are the ones that are up for negotiation. Otherwise the numbers will stay the same in the budget unless, otherwise, council says something else.”

Randy Ervin, city council member and mayor-elect, said he would like to propose an increase in funding to RSVP because of the services it provides to community, even if it means deducting funds from one of the other selected agencies. Everything else, he added, looks great to him.

“That’s the only one out of all those that just rings a bell that that might not be quite enough,” Ervin said.

Currently, RSVP only receives $5,000 from the city. Council also disburses $15,000 to United Way, $18,000 to the YMCA and $40,000 to Main Street.

Other agencies that receive funding from the city include: Newton Development Corporation, Newton Housing Development Corporation, Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) and the Des Moines International Airport. Over the past few years, agency funding has been a significant budget conversation.

Legislative forecasts show property tax reform will continue to be a hot topic, and new laws are already putting the city in a difficult spot for budget season. In an effort to reduce city spending and still maintain essential services, the city has to look at every dollar spent. Agency funding has been targeted numerous times.

In the past, Ervin has embraced the idea of funding partner agencies, and he even considers them an extension to city staff.