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Smith County’s new spending plan eliminates funding from The Emmanuel House in Carthage.
Commissioners cut the county’s $12,000 contribution to the organization in order to pass its 2019-2020 budget Monday.
Monica Mowdy serves as the vice president of The Emmanuel House’s board of directors. She said the cuts come as no surprise to the organization.
“To be honest, we had been watching like everyone else in the county and kind of saw it coming,” Mowdy said. “Although, a year and a half ago when we made the decision to try to bring The Emmanuel House back to life in Smith County – because it’s such a needed resource for the county – that was not something we foresaw at that time.”
The Emmanuel House hosted a grand-reopening June 23 after conducting several renovations to the property and establishing a new board of directors.
Mowdy said the funding cuts provide a new opportunity for the organization.
“We have a very meager budget. We’re very good with our money, we’re very careful,” Mowdy said. “But, it was a chunk that we know we can replace. We’re looking to the community and grant funding to fund the other portion as it was. Now we just need to expand that.”
According to a press release Wednesday, The Emmanuel House operates on an annual budget of just under $60,000. The organization assists homeless women and children by providing temporary housing, life skill training, and access to recover and social services.
Commissioners made nearly $25,000 in total cuts from its original budget proposal during a Monday meeting that lasted nearly five hours. The commission also voted to accept a 59-cent property tax increase in order to help the county make ends meet.
Citizens interested in making donations to The Emmanuel House can contact the organization for more details.
