WINFIELD, W.Va. -- After Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's recently announced plans to cut state funding for most government agencies by 4 percent, Putnam County officials are brainstorming ways to soften the blow.
Officials from Putnam County's libraries, health department, community criminal justice board, parks and recreation department and development authority delivered financial updates to county commissioners at their meeting Tuesday.
Most agencies are on track in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, but County Commissioner Andy Skidmore asked how they plan to make up the difference from the budget cuts.
For the criminal justice board, that means finding ways to recoup more fees. "This year, we talked the [state] Supreme Court into reimbursing us for transportation [for drug court participants]," said Jamey Hunt, who directs the criminal justice board's day-report program. At a cost of $50 a day for transportation expenses, Hunt told commissioners the board could make up to $200 a week "for services we're already providing."
Putnam's libraries are taking a slightly different approach. "We need to re-energize our Friends of the [Putnam County] Library [nonprofit], because that's who can do fundraisers for us," Putnam County Library Director Megan Tarbett said. Although she doesn't include revenues from fines and copies in the libraries' budget, Tarbett said the perpetual book sale that each branch holds has also brought in some extra cash.
The biggest obstacle, Tarbett said, is "getting enough people to cover all the things we do regularly -- and all the new things we want to try to do."
The Putnam Board of Health is also back on the plus side financially. Administrator Lolita Kirk told commissioners Tuesday that all of the board's outstanding invoices have been paid off, with a current balance of $27,600 in its account. Since Aug. 26, the board has paid more than $78,000, including a loan for $65,000 paid back to the county commission. Kirk said that clinic revenue and and accepting additional insurance plans is one way the board can manage future funding cuts. "We're one of the leading flu shot providers in West Virginia," Kirk said. The board of health gives about 15,000 flu shot vaccinations annually, she said.
County commissioners also approved two changes to Putnam's magisterial districts and voting precincts. County Clerk Brian Wood asked that Precinct 24, which included residences between Poplar Fork Road and U.S. 60 south of Teays Valley, be merged with Precinct 29, which encompasses the heavily populated area of Teays Valley just west of Scott Depot. The magisterial district change was necessary to keep the two precincts consistent, Wood said.
Wood said he's not received any negative feedback from county residents about dissolving Precinct 24.
Commissioners also voted to return ownership of the John Henson Senior Center to the city of Hurricane. The center, located on Putnam Avenue, has been owned by Putnam County since 1979.
"They've been involved with the senior center [and] didn't feel comfortable putting a lot of work into it without owning the facility, so that's why they approached us," Skidmore said.
County Manager Brian Donat noted that the center needs upgrades, such as a new roof, which he estimated would cost about $40,000.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.