by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Mayor John Peyton’s nearly across-the-board budget cuts still have to undergo City Council scrutiny, but it looks like Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is going to lose one-third of the public service grant money it usually receives from the City.
“We got a 30 percent cut and I was not privy to any of the insight as to why,” said JALA Executive Director Michael Figgins. “That is roughly right at $100,000.”
Figgins said the public service grant cuts were based on a 10-20-30 system. Mayoral spokesperson Susie Wiles confirmed that.
“The logic was real simple,” said Wiles, explaining that organizations that served core human services were cut 10 percent, arts and culture were cut 20 percent and legal services, economic development and services that deal with animals were cut 30 percent. “JALA put in more than one request. We funded the larger of the two.”
Figgins said as of Aug. 13 his office will trim its new client intake days from three days a week to two — Monday and Thursday — and he hopes he doesn’t have to resort to trimming JALA’s staff.
“I don’t know yet,” said Figgins about potential staff cuts. “The cuts will not hit until Oct. 1 so I have a couple of months to scramble.”
JALA currently sees about 150 new clients a week during the three days of intake. Cutting that to two, Figgins said, will leave some who really need legal help with nowhere to turn.
“During intake, people come in with their concerns, grievances and injustices,” he said. “Some just need to get someone to listen to them and offer a little help. A lot of them are angry or confused and often discouraged. They don’t understand what is happening to them. We explain their rights and try to diffuse their anger.”
Wiles said Peyton understands JALA’s plight, however many of the issues facing Jacksonville were not created locally.
“Tallahassee dealt us this hand,” said Wiles. “We spent more time and energy on the public service grants than any other part of the budget. They provide services the government doesn’t provide or doesn’t do as well.”
Wiles said Figgins will have the opportunity to go in front of City Council to plead his case. She also said JALA will have to supplement its budget through other means.
“We think Legal Aid has opportunities to find funding elsewhere,” said Wiles. “This is a proposed budget and they have the ability to go to City Council and persuade them that 30 percent is too much. They should do that.”
Figgins said federal grants are a possibility, however they take time to apply for and many of the deadlines for the 2007-08 fiscal year have passed. Figgins said he has met with his board of directors in an effort to find funding. He believes JALA helps clients with enough different problems that he may be able to count on the business community outside of the legal community for help.
“Right now, I don’t have the answers,” said Figgins. “To a significant extent, it’s unfair to expect one profession to help.”