The relationship between the Austin City Council and the Mower County Board of Commissioners got even more entangled at Tuesday’s council Finance Committee meeting.

Thursday, April 13, 2000

The relationship between the Austin City Council and the Mower County Board of Commissioners got even more entangled at Tuesday’s council Finance Committee meeting. The committee voted unanimously to give the Mower County Historical Society $5,000 this year – if the county board would do the same.

That decision brought the amount of proposed matching or joint funds for city or county projects to more than a million dollars: $650,000, plus $125,000 for the multipurpose arena; $250,000 for the Paramount Theatre, if the state bonding comes through, and now $5,000 for the nearly bankrupt historical society. However, both parties have yet to formally agree to any of the matching funds.

"I think the county should step forward," committee member and Third Ward council member Dick Lang said. "They’ve got 30-some million (dollars) sitting in reserves. If they can’t come up with some money to keep the historical society going, then the people should put someone different in office."

Council member at-large Dick Chaffee was puzzled as to why the county board would agree to increase its donation last year so that Director Shirley DeYoung could have a raise, then take the money away the following year.

"I wish I could answer that," DeYoung said. "But I don’t have any idea. But we do a lot for the city and the schools in Austin, that’s why I came to you here."

The vote came after City Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert told committee members that he had found $9,800 that he believed the MCHS had overbudgeted. However, that still left the organization nearly $7,400 short of the money it needs to make up its operating budget for 2000, plus any money needed for capital improvement projects.

Chaffee told the historical director to go back to the county as many times as it takes.

"You’re going to have to go back and bite on them," Chaffee said. "Some of the buildings need repair; they’re responsible to make sure they’re maintained. We can’t have them falling down out there."

DeYoung said the historical society has had donations from the Elks, which recently bought the organization a computer scanner so the group could preserve its pictures digitally, the Eagles and the American Legion. They also recently sent out 160 letters to people asking for donations and memberships. While grateful for the donations, she doesn’t think they will be enough to keep the doors of the society open after summer.

The $5,000 from the city will come from the city’s contingency fund, so the donation doesn’t have to go to the full council, only the finance committee. Dankert will notify the county board of the city’s proposal by mail later this week.