JOHNSTOWN - The Fulton County Youth Bureau on Monday approved proposed state aid allocations for youth agencies, although that type of funding is dropping at a fast rate.
The bureau's advisory board approved 2010 funding allocations - for county youth agencies and municipalities with recreation programs - at its monthly meeting at City Hall.
Bureau Director Charis Gray said the bureau's allocation was again "cut substantially" this year. She said the state has reduced bureau funding by 32 percent the last three years. Municipal recreation funding was cut by 10 percent for 2010, she said.
"This year was not as easy," she said. "Our funding was cut substantially."
She declined to make public the amounts of funding coming in from the state in 2010, but Gray said the bureau had a "fair plan" to distribute the funding. Some of the agencies receiving funding are Community Maternity Services, Catholic Charities, Mental Health Association, Hamilton, Fulton & Montgomery Prevention Council and the Johnstown Public Library.
The bureau receives two types of state funding aid - Youth Development & Delinquency Program funds and Special Delinquency Prevention Program funds - which it contractually distributes to area youth agencies and municipalities. For 2009, the funding totaled $115,818.
The Board of Supervisors' Economic Development Committee will now vote on the allocations at its March 30 meeting. From there, the allocations are reviewed by the full board April 12. Gray said allocations will then be reviewed by the state Office of Children & Family Services - the state agency overseeing the youth bureau.
She noted the board in 2010 chose to allocate only to agencies with existing ties to the bureau.
"We didn't accept any applications from any new agencies," Gray said.
In other business, Gray noted the bureau's annual Fulton County Youth Recognition Banquet will be conducted at 5:30 p.m. April 29 at Lanzi's on the Lake in Mayfield. The group is still seeking a guest speaker.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com