NEWS

Port Authority to request $199K from county

John Richmeier jrichmeier@leavenworthtimes.com

After funding from the county government was restored this year, Leavenworth County Port Authority board members will be asking for the same level of funding for 2016.

The Port Authority is a quasi governmental agency that focuses on economic development in the county.

The issue of the Port Authority's funding request was discussed Wednesday during a meeting of the organization's Board of Directors.

Steve Jack said a draft of the 2016 budget had been prepared to submit to the county. He asked board members if they wanted to request the same amount of money the Port Authority received from the county this year – $199,597.

Jack is executive director of the Leavenworth County Development Corporation. The LCDC is a partner organization of the Port Authority and the Port Authority's board utilizes the LCDC staff.

"The last couple of years have been a little rough," Jack said.

The Leavenworth County Commission previously allocated funding to the Port Authority on annual basis. But the county provided no direct funding to the Port Authority in 2014. No money initially was allocated in the county's 2015 budget.

However, county commissioners voted in February to provide $199,597 to the Port Authority. The funding came from tax money that was levied by the county in 2014 for economic development purposes.

Port Authority Board Chairman Terry Andrews told Jack to send the draft of the budget to the county.

By submitting this draft, the Port Authority will again be requesting $199,597 in funding from the county government, Andrews said.

LCDC also previously received funding each year from the county. But the county provided no funding to the organization in 2014.

This year, county commissioners voted to give $79,218 to LCDC at the same time they authorized funding for the Port Authority.

Jack said LCDC again will be requesting $79,218 in funding from the county for 2016.

LCDC also receives funding each year from the cities Leavenworth, Lansing, Basehor and Tonganoxie that totals a little more than $80,000.

Jack said LCDC also receives funding from 65 private sector members. This funding should total about $44,000 this year.

With the addition of money LCDC raises through a golf tournament and annual meeting, the organization probably will receive about $50,000 this year in private funding, he said.

"That's a pretty good amount of money," he said.

Twitter: @LVTNewsJohnR