The majority of the St. Mary’s County Commissioners have voted to keep funding for the so-called “non-county agencies” at the same level next fiscal year as it currently is funded. On the 3-2 vote, with commissioners Cynthia Jones (R: 1st) and Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd) opposing, the commissioners decided to fund the 26 non-profit agencies at $1.34 million and to not fund several agencies that had requested to be added to the list.

The total funding request, including the new agencies, was $2.1 million, representing a 57.7 percent increase. But of that increase, $350,000 was for the Navy Alliance and $200,000 was a new request from Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department – Carousel.

The majority of the commissioners, however, tentatively put $350,000 in the Department of Economic and Community Development’s budget for a diversification study. The funding was requested by Commissioner Todd Morgan (R: 4th) who previously served as president of the Navy Alliance.

The other agencies that had requested to be added to the list were: Historic St. Mary’s City Foundation, Leah’s House, St. Joseph Community Center, Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living, Chesapeake Orchestra, St. Mary’s County Art Council, and Summerseat Farm.

The non-county agency funding was extremely contentious during budget deliberations last year, with the commissioners slashing most requests and a long line of supporters of those agencies appearing at the budget hearing.

A newly formed group, called Vital Community Connection (VCC), representing the non-profit agencies has formed and had launched a lobbying effort to let the community know of the vital services they perform. The group has held two recent meetings attended by more than 400 people.

Joseph Anderson, VCC’s president, said he was “very happy” with the commissioners decision. He reiterated the group’s contention that the moniker “non-county agencies” fails to adequately portray what they do. “We are of the county and for the county,” one of the speakers said at the first community meeting.

The majority of the commissioners did add a contingency on level funding support. They are requiring all of the agencies to participate in the College of Southern Maryland Non-Profit Institute.

Commissioner Jarboe raised concern, in voting against the motion, that some