Local organizations request community betterment funds

Local organizations put in requests for more than twice the money available in Fairfield?s 2011-2012 Local Option Sales Tax community betterment fund.

The Fairfield City Council Ways and Means Committee trimmed the $128,000 wish list to $50,625 during a meeting Thursday night. Sixteen groups are slated to receive funds, though the list is unofficial until the budget is certified by the full council in March.

As in previous years, the committee attempted to give priority to capital projects that were unable to come out of the general fund.

?But you?re spending sales tax. You want to support the things that generate sales tax. I think that has to be another criteria,? Mayor Ed Malloy reminded the committee.

Fairfield 1st Fridays Art Walk, which requested $39,000, was granted $18,000, and the Society of Fairfield Italian Americans, which hosts an annual summer festival, was awarded $2,000.

Many requests for funds were cut in half or more ? only three were fully funded: the McElhinny Foundation at $1,200, the Fairfield Park and Recreation Foundation at $2,400 and Live on the Square at $1,000.

As the Jefferson County Trails Council makes its final push to complete the Fairfield Loop Trail, the committee agreed on the importance of the project. The trails council is set to receive $5,000, $500 less than the initial request.

For the complete article, see the Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.