GUY
deBOER KONK
BROADCASTING NEWS DIRECTOR
“We are a small govern- ment and without the nonprofits we do not have the funding to provide our citizens with those services. Te services are typically targets when any budget cuts are made, but because our state is facing a revenue crisis, vulnerable nonprof- its are more of a target . . . we may see some of our essential nonprofits no longer exist in a couple of years if this continues.”
lKim Wigington Monroe County Commissioner District 1
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n A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H Kim Wigington
Guy deBoer | GD: For the past month or so we have been having conversations with Monroe County politicians and Florida State Repre- sentative Ron Saunders about the enigma of our new Republican governor, Rick Scott, and the pro- posals he is going to be putting forth to balance the state budget. Today we speak with Monroe County Commissioner Kim Wigington. It appears you are concerned with the cuts effecting nonprofits here in Monroe County and the Florida Keys. What do you see the governor implementing and what affect will it have on Monroe County residents? Kim Wigington | KW: I think it’s important for us all to keep in
mind that we have yet to see what proposals he will push as the Legis- lature actually sets the budget and votes on each item line by line. Te nonprofits here in our community provide services that are crucial to the citizens. We are a small govern- ment and without the nonprofits we do not have the funding to pro- vide our citizens with those services. Te services are typically targets when any budget cuts are made, but because our state is facing a revenue crisis, vulnerable nonprofits are more of a target and I am going to go ahead and say that it would be basically impossible for the county taxpayer to pick up the differences for those nonprofit funding cuts.
GD Te cuts that are being pro- posed are quite large, correct? KWYes. Last year our health care was cut and that ultimately fell di- rectly on the county taxpayers. Now
4 KONK Life
we see the nonprofits being cut and sure, they can cut, combine or streamline the services, but we may see some of our essential nonprofits no longer exist in a couple of years if this continues.
GD Can you name any of the non-profits that you see being adversely effected and the services that they apply here in the Keys? KWLet me explain how the cutting of one particular funding source affects a lot of different sources. I hate to name specific ones, but the shelter for the homeless could be- come a targeted one, because it may not receive a whole lot of opposition due to public sentiment. But by cutting that nonprofit, you are cutting MARC House funding. Te MARC House is a very popular nonprofit and essential service to citizens here in the community, but it receives funding from Homeless
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