Wednesday, March 29, 2000

If the Austin City Council doesn’t come through with $16,000 for the Mower County Historical Society, the doors to the Historical Center probably will close in September, at least until 2001.

Shirley DeYoung, director of the historical society, asked the city for funding Tuesday for the first time ever because she felt there was no alternative. Twice she has been to the Mower County Board of Commissioners; twice, she said, the commissioners have told her no.

The historical society receives $37,500 a year from the county, which is meant to pay for maintenance of the 19 buildings the group owns at the Mower County Fairgrounds, plus the salaries of three part-time employees. The county board allocated the historical society $10,000 less than the organization asked for this year, $5,000 less than the county had given last year.

"Unless we can get some funds, we will have to close in September or October," DeYoung told council members and city staff. "We do a lot for Austin," she added, explaining that many of the Austin schools bring groups to the group’s 19 buildings at the fairgrounds at little or no charge.

Council member Dick Lang asked for a more detailed outline of the group’s budget and spending, which DeYoung said she had. She added, however, that the organization also was in the midst of a necessary audit but couldn’t really afford it. The audit is a first for the group.

"Projections don’t look good," DeYoung said. "We’ve got to get money if we’re going to survive. What we’re asking for from you doesn’t even include much-needed repairs to some of the buildings. It will just cover the last three or four months’ operating expenses."

City Administrator Pat McGarvey wasn’t the only person in the room to ponder why the county refused the historical society’s request, but he managed to put it into a different perspective.

"What you’re asking for is three-and-a-half-days’ interest on the money the county has in reserves," McGarvey said.

Mayor Bonnie Rietz pointed out that the county’s reserve funds are, in fact, a problem for the historical society and DeYoung, and not only because none of them are headed her way.

"When she (DeYoung) goes to groups to ask for funds, the people all say the same thing: ‘Why don’t you go to the county board? They’ve got plenty of money,’" Rietz said. "Then those groups don’t feel like they should donate."

DeYoung got no clear answer from the city finance committee, just a request for more information and several suggestions.

"You need to market how important the work you do is," council member at-large Dick Chaffee said. "And you’ve got to get your new and old members to rally around the flagpole."

DeYoung said the group was in the process of going to service clubs in the area as well as sending letters to various individuals. Grants, at the moment, are out of the question because an organization needs both a grant writer and funds to match the grant. Currently, the $1,000-a-month utility bills are even tough for the strapped organization. She did say five or six of the 20 townships had contributed between $100 and $300 each.

In addition to the $16,000 needed for operating expenses, DeYoung estimated the audit would cost at least $2,800. She said repairs also were needed on the ceiling and exterior of the Fire Building, broken sidewalk, rural school doorstep, that lights in the art center in the church and Indian building display case needed replacing and new church doors were badly needed.

"I don’t know what to do," DeYoung said. Lang suggested getting people to talk to their county commissioners.

"That’s the first thing I’m going to do," Lang said. "This really disturbs me, because I had no idea … I think the people of Austin need to know there isn’t enough money available out there." DeYoung is supposed to come back to the finance committee with a more detailed financial outline as soon as possible.

Both county commissioners on the county finance committee, Richard Cummings and Len Miller, were not available for comment this morning.