By Marjon Rostami
The Virginian-Pilot
SUFFOLK, Va. — The Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad will be forced to shut down if the city doesn’t restore $50,000 to the nonprofit in next year’s proposed budget, volunteers said Wednesday.
Representatives from two other organizations requested more money at the City Council public hearing on the proposed budget, but only the volunteer squad is in danger of ceasing service.
Doug Ward, treasurer of the volunteer rescue squad, said it would cost the city far more to operate the 20 percent of calls that the volunteers take than it would to level funding for the organization at $100,000.
“If we don’t get funded, we can’t operate the full year,” he said. “We would save them close to $1 million, for the city to staff and operate and buy new ambulances — things that we do for free.”
Linda Bunch, the executive director of the Suffolk Art League, also asked the City Council to increase funding. Under the proposed budget, the Suffolk Fine Arts Commission will receive $5,000, which is 41 percent less than this year.
Thayler McCormick, the executive director of the homeless shelter ForKids, said state and local funding for the shelter has been cut in half over the last 18 months.
“We cannot afford to do this without a full partnership from the city of Suffolk,” she said.
While Councilman Leroy Bennett was in favor of pulling strings to help the organizations that affect youths, Councilman Charles Brown was hesitant.
“Once you begin to unravel that budget, it will end up a big mess,” Brown said.
Councilman Charles Parr suggested the arts league and the homeless shelter turn to the Obici Foundation for funds.
“I hope they would go and tap into that,” he said. “If we take from one to give to the other, who is going to decide what we take?”
The council is expected to vote on the budget May 5.
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