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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission will be using an expected carryover of around $600,000 from its 2023-2024 budget to provide funding to some organizations that have asked for the county's assistance.
During the commission meeting earlier this week, officials were notified of around $600,000 for their ending balance for the 2023-24 fiscal year which ends on June 30.
Throughout the year different organizations in the community appear before the commission requesting funding to help with a number of projects or programs they have.
Commission President Blair Couch said they usually wait until the end of the fiscal year to see if the county has any carryover funding that wasn't used from their budget.
"That way, it doesn't impact our budget or our savings," he said.
The commission agreed to give House to Home $10,000; the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg $7,500; Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) $15,000; Little Kanawha RC&D $2,000; Northstar $10,000; and Museums of the Mid-Ohio Valley $7,500.
Last June, House to Home requested $100,000 to help with the purchase and renovation of the building that housed Paul's TV Services at 825 Seventh St. to be used as their new day shelter facility.
In February, CASA representative Margaret Burdette asked for $50,000 from the commission from opioid settlement money the county is receiving since many of the cases they deal with have parents who are abusing drugs. The group lost a $40,000 Title II Grant which covered part of staff salary and operational expenses which have increased over the past year.
Couch said the commission has not yet sat down to determine where any of the opioid settlement money is going.
Officials from Northstar appeared before the commission last November seeking help as they will be losing a $50,000 grant in July it has received for eight years.
Commissioners have told each organization to also request funds from the local city councils so they could receive support across the community.
Commissioners are also considering repairs to county buildings and court buildings that some of the carryover money can be used for.
Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said he wants it to be clear that these amounts are not going to be annual allotments to these groups.
Couch added there have been years where the county was not able to provide any funding for requests because finances at the time did not allow for a carryover.
In other business, the commission approved a resolution to continue participation in the Parkersburg-Wood County Home Consortium for the upcoming fiscal year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025). The commission participates in the group with Parkersburg City Council and Vienna City Council and has for a number of years.
Jake Frady of the City of Parkersburg said the Consortium's allocations from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was down around $60,000 from previous years, but they still have a budget of around $425,000 for various home projects, including supporting Habitat For Humanity building homes. Money is set aside for a low-income tax credit program and they are providing assistance in helping people making down payments for homes.
"That program has been really popular in getting people into houses," Frady said.
The consortium is involved in the low-income housing project at Patriot Center.
Frady said the city has a number of programs in place, through grants, to help get people in homes within the city. Being involved with the county helps as it "knocks down a few more barriers and opens it up to the rest of the county."
Frady said 18-19 families were provided with assistance of around $15,000 to help make down payments for homes up to $140,000.
"It has helped some people get into some really affordable places," he said.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com