by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
The City’s Public Service Grants Council met last week to pass judgment on funding requests for fiscal year 2010 from more than 60 social service organizations. Working with a projected PSG budget of $2,498,565 (level from FY 2009) the council divided the funds based on performance evaluations and total requests.
No agency was allocated the full amount requested, including Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
JALA requested funds in two areas: $234,220 to provide civil legal services and $50,548.50 for the Mental Health Advocacy Program., for a combined request of $284,768.50. The council recommended funding the legal services at $155,159 and the mental health program at $31,623 for a combined total of $186,782. In FY 2009, JALA received Public Service Grants totaling $209,454 for the programs, $23,282 more than was recommended for FY 2010.
“We’re going to have to make cuts and I don’t know where it’s going to come from,” said JALA Executive Director Michael Figgins. “It’s like a boxing match. We didn’t see this coming.”
Figgins said he was surprised by the reduction in funding since the legal services JALA provides are serving an ever-growing population that could not otherwise afford counsel much less representation.
“What we do reduces stress on many of the other organizations and we put an extra $400,000 into the local economy through Social Security benefits alone,” said Figgins. “That means the landlord gets paid and people are going to the grocery store.”
Figgins said he’s “looking under rocks” for ways to cover the difference and the answer may be federal stimulus funds.
“Ten years ago there was no federal money but now the federal government looks like the Golden Goose,” he said.
He also predicted there may be an effect on staff level at JALA.
“We’ve got to cast our lines and see what we catch. But if that’s the final decision (on City grant funding) it’s one less body,” he said.
356-2466