PIMA — Christmas came early in Pima for a few charitable and educational organizations.
At the Town Council’s most recent meeting, at the urging of Vice Mayor Sherrill Teeter, the Town Council agreed to additional funding of three nonprofit organizations.
Dan Hinton Accommodation School, which serves children with developmental and physical disability, from preschool to age 22, asked for $500 to purchase trykes and scooters for the preschool students, with the school providing a $500 match.
But Teeter said she’d rather the town funds the full $1,000 because the school’s needs are growing.
“Because they’re not shrinking in number, they’re actually growing in the numbers of their children.” Teeter said.
Teeter also favored increasing the town’s donation to the annual Turkey Trot from $300 to $500. The Turkey Trot donates all funds raised from the Thanksgiving Day running event to Pima Schools.
And she recommended the council increase its donation to Eastern Arizona Hispanic Heritage Foundation from the requested $1,000 to $2,400, specifically to fund a Pima student or resident’s scholarship to Eastern Arizona College.
The council also combined all donations to Eastern Arizona Museum and Historical Society into one disbursement of $1,500.
The Town Council unanimously approved the changes as part of adoption of the town’s tentative budget.
The budget is anticipating $4.05 million in expenses, against $3.9 million in revenue, $2.9 million in highway user revenue funds and about $570,000 in grants.
Following adoption of the tentative budget, no additions may be made, only reductions. The Town Council will be asked to adopt the final budget at its June meeting.
