Groton's Proposed Budget Includes $57,000 For Outside Agencies

Groton’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year includes $57,000 for outside social services and cultural agencies, a 6.5 percent increase over this year’s spending, but not nearly as much as the agencies wanted.

Fourteen groups asked the town for $111,000 for the coming fiscal year, more than double the amount they received this year, according to budget documents.

Town Manger Mark Oefinger said some requests were particularly different from past years. For example, the New London Homeless Hospitality Center, Inc. sought $18,500 for the coming year, more than six times its current funding of $3,000.

Oefinger’s budget proposal instead would give the group $6,000.

Oefinger said that for the most part, Groton's philosophy has been to provide money in two instances: when a longtime group provides a critical community service and when an agency is starting out and will fill a community need.

“The thought is sometimes we want to give money to a group that’s just getting started, but it’s seed money,” he said. “At some point they would graduate and they wouldn’t need that money anymore.”

United Community and Family Services, which offers assistance like medical care and has received money from Groton for many years, sought a substantial increase this year.

The agency submitted four applications, including ones for $11,500 for dental health services, $2,800 for adult day care and $3,000 for primary care. Oefinger’s proposed budget includes $2,000 for dental health and none for adult day care or primary care.

Three groups applied for funding but received zero in the proposed budget: Sound Community Services Inc. sought $5,000 for educational resources to assist clients suffering from mental health and substance abuse; Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Eastern Connecticut, Inc. sought $2,500 to help with counseling, medical and court accompaniment for victims of sexual assault; and Noank Mystic Community Band asked for $800 to help support its free concerts.

Agency funding at a glance

A list of agencies that would receive money in the proposed budget, and the  increase or decrease from this fiscal year is below:

• : $5,000. No increase.

• New London Homeless Hospitality Center, Inc.: $6,000.  Increase of $3,000.

• Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.: $2,000. No increase.

• Women’s Center of Southeastern Connecticut, Inc.: $10,000. No increase.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Connecticut, Inc.: $7,500. No increase.

• Connecticut Legal Services: $12,000. No increase.

• TVCCA, Inc.: $500. No increase.

• United Community and Family Services, Inc: $2,000 for dental health services; $4,000 for behavioral health services. Increase of $2,000.

• : $1,000. Decrease of $500.

• : $6,000. No increase.

• Eastern Connecticut Symphony: $1,000. No increase.