Lexington Mayor Jim Gray held a public hearing Tuesday on his proposed 2016 budget, and received significant criticism from various social nonprofits.
God’s Pantry, the Salvation Army, and the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning spoke against changes to social services funding in the proposed budget. Several groups have had their grant funding either cut or significantly reduced for fiscal year 2016. Carnegie Center Director Neil Chethik says with no money this year, their one-on-one tutoring program is in jeopardy.
“We are in a position where we have the full infrastructure to help 200+ children who need one-on-one tutoring, and we don’t have the money to pay for the three part timers that need to do that job,” he said.
The Salvation Army had its funding cut by a third, particularly for its transitional housing program, while God’s Pantry CEO Marian Guinn says the removal of grant funding for the next two years would have a detrimental effect on those in need.
“Losing this funding jeapordizes 1.3 million meals for food insecure Lexingtonians over the next two years,” she said.
The council will pore over the full budget in the coming weeks, starting with departmental recommendations and determining the final revenue level. The full document is available online.
