In an effort to help the Sweetwater County Child Developmental Center cover its costs, it will receive $100,000 this year and be paid two times a year instead of once each year after.
During the Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting last week, the Commissioners listened to CDC executive director Lu Kasper discuss the budget issues the CDC is currently having.
Kasper said the revenues from the state have been cut by $1 million over the past three years. To help offset the costs, the CDC has increased its class sizes, made cuts and opened a daycare facility.
However, even with these changes, unexpected costs have caused them to fall behind.
In 2015, the CDC had to replace the HVAC system at the Rock Springs facility. This project cost about $63,000. In 2016, they had an average maintenance year which was about $29,500.
All of this money comes out of the CDC’s general fund.
This year, the CDC had to replace its roof at the Rock Springs facility and put in a new fire-suppression system.
To make matters worse, the roof replacement had significant issues that needed to be addressed. Kasper said they have already spent $112,300 for this fiscal year and they aren’t due to receive their annual payment from the county until June.
“It’s so tight that we might have to take out a loan to make it through the year,” Kasper said.
Kasper said she was asking for two things -- an increase in this year’s annual payment and for that payment to take place now instead of waiting until June and second to receive funding payments twice a year instead of once
“We need to cover the cost for the whole year,” she said.
Sometimes that means they need to dip into the general fund to make ends meet. Sweetwater County Treasurer Robb Slaughter said they county is holding $2 million for the CDC, which was an overage from the sixth-cent penny tax collection.
He said the money was put into an account to help fund the CDC for years. He said the CDC receives a $50,000 payment from the principle amount and $40,000 from the interest generated on the account. Slaughter said he doesn’t have a problem paying the CDC twice a year instead of once, but one of the payments will be from the principle and the other from the interest. Slaughter suggested the county pay $100,000 now from the principle amount to help the CDC and then start the two payment a year schedule in December.
The Commissioners agreed and unanimously approved the request.
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