Ricky Hood, director of the East Mississippi Boys and Girls Club, said $153,000 for his agency that was voted down by the Meridian City Council Tuesday would not have gone towards staff salaries as some contend.

    At the Tuesday meeting, Meridian Mayor Percy Bland’s proposal to enter into a contractual agreement to pay $153,000 to the Boys and Girls Club was defeated in a 3-2 vote.

    “The money is not for paying for the staff. It is about services,” Hood said. “It’s like this: we have a baseball team or a football team, we have to pay our umpires and referees. We want to add a literacy program with certified teachers, but we have to pay them something for their time. They are not are employees, but we do have to pay for their service.”

    Ward 3 Councilwoman Barbara Henson, Dr. George Thomas from Ward 1 and Randy Hammon from Ward 5 voted against the funding. Voting for the proposal were Dustin Markham from Ward 2 and Ward 4 Councilwoman Kim Houston.

    Henson voiced concerned about the city’s tight budget.

    “That’s great what the Boys and Girls Club does for the children but does the city have to be involved with paying their employee salaries at this time?” Henson asked. “We don’t have that kind of money.”

    Initially, Bland proposed a $246,000 for the Boys and Girls Club. But when he presented the proposal to the council in mid January, council members, including Markham, expressed concern at the amount.

    Markham asked that a lower, variable, amount be resubmitted.

    Hood said he needs the funds to expand the organization’s literacy program given the state’s new requirement that all third grade students pass a reading assessment test before they are promoted to fourth grade.

    Hood said he would use the funds to bring in certified teachers to offer additional reading programs for area children.

    Hood also said the East Mississippi Boys and Girls Club has provided services to more than a third of the school-aged children in the Meridian Public School District because of its four locations throughout the city.

    “There is no other organization in Meridian that can provide all children of this city the type of services we can in a safe, clean, fun, and educational environment,” Hood said. “Finally, the funds are actually less than $100,000 for the remaining part of the budget year.”

    Hood said he hopes Bland can present an amended proposal to the council.

    “I know if we don’t get the proposed funds, we will have to make cuts,” Hood said. “It won’t be staff, but it would be some of the services that we provide.”