Recent cuts to the state budget are trickling down to communities all across Illinois. Locally.. those cuts are affecting area organizations–specifically, the Knox County Fairgrounds.
County Fair Board Member Darcy Thorp gave a presentation to members of the Galesburg City Council last night..leaning on the importance of external funding for her organization.
Board members received a letter from the state last week–saying that as of March 11th, no additional funds would be provided by the state.
The fairgrounds will reportedly go from receiving $67,000 in state aid to nothing. Thorp says because of the depletion in funds–the fairgrounds could face setbacks in terms of helping out 4H, United Way, and other organizations who work with the fair.
Thorp tells WGIL that adjustments have already been made due to a steady decline in funding over the past five years.
“You have to re-organize, you have to re-adjust,” says Thorp. “We’ve been so fortunate that we are not operating in the red. We were scared there for a few years, but we pushed a lot of things around–we had to cut back when we needed to, and just really re-organize.”
Thorp says even though state cuts have been increasing–this years letter was unexpected.
“Typically you know what’s coming down (from the state.) We just got a letter–we were supposed to get $22,000 this year, and we thought something would be coming, but they basically said sorry there is no money.”
The fairgrounds received $6,000 in aid from the City of Galesburg last night. Thorp says they will now begin the process of approaching other outlets for finances.
