Non-profit committee receives financial update from county

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Madison County non-profit committee received an update from budget committee chairman Doug Stephenson on the county’s financial situation.

The news wasn’t pretty.

“2019-2020, we were allocated $160,000. Unfortunately, we’re looking at not having anything available to give to the non-profits that have requested funding,” said Joey Hale, a Madison County commissioner.

Seventeen non-profits requested funding this year, and 16 received funding last year.

Stephenson said the county is projecting losses of at least $9 million. As part of cuts, money for non-profits will drop to zero.

“That doesn’t mean it will be that way forever, or even next year, but with the uncertainty, we’ve got to make sure of the resources we have and we commit to are available,” Hale said.

“We have a mission in the community. You know, it’s the most vulnerable. It’s the hungry, it’s the homeless, the addicted,” said Richard Barber, Executive Director of Aspell Recovery Center.

Those at the meeting agreed: now more than ever is the time for people in the community to make sure local non-profits get help.

“There’s people in the community that aren’t getting the help they need because the capacity has gone down,” Barber said.

There is fear of what will happen with no money allocated to help these groups to operate. But they simply have to weather the storm.

“The passion behind these non-profits, the pandemic can’t stop that,” Hale said.

“Those missions have to continue, whether we have funding or not,” Barber said.

Stephenson added that the county is facing a decrease in sales tax revenue of around 25 percent.