COLUMBIA, S.C. — Some Richland County community members are hoping they can help secure funding for the county's Conservation Commission (RCCC).
The Commission works to conserve land and preserve historical sites. It's funded by Richland County but may lose some money soon due to the new budget proposal.
When some heard about the potential budget cut, they began tying white bows on historical sites that the commission has worked on. The goal? To raise awareness for how important they think it is to fund the commission.
Catherine Fleming Bruce, a preservationist that has had projects funded by the commission, led the effort. "It was a way for us to make sure that people could see some of the resources that RCCC provides," Bruce told News19.
She started decorating historical sites like the Alston House and Olympia Granby Museum after learning the commission may lose over $200,000 in annual funding.
"Without that funding, [those sites] wouldn’t be there," said Bruce.
Richland County’s proposed budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year takes money away from the commission, Bruce said people are concerned this will hinder their work.
"That's why so many people spoke up and said well if it's in trouble, we're here to say it's very important to us," Bruce said.
44 people spoke out against the proposed budget cut during Richland County Council’s most recent meeting.
Vice Chair of the Conservation Commission, Buddy Atkins, told News19 the support means a lot.
"We were very pleased we had the phenomenal support and show of good will for three decades of work in the county," Atkins said.
He added that if the budget cut is approved, they’ll have to take a big chunk out of their reserve fund, which is meant for other projects.
Chair of Richland County Council Paul Livingston told News19 the commission has had left over money each fiscal year, and that’s why the proposal suggests reducing their funds.
"It just simply asks the Conservation Commission to take it from their $2.2 million general fund. So, they'll still be able to do the projects they plan to do and so forth. So, it's not a cut as one believes it could be in terms of preventing them from doing what they really, really need to do," said the chairman.
Council will vote on the budget this Thursday.