BY THE NUMBERS: Northport Hears Outside Agency Funding Requests For FY23

NORTHPORT, AL — Northport city officials gathered Thursday for a long day of hearing funding requests from outside agencies as the new budget year quickly approaches.

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No action was taken on Thursday following the presentations, but here's a quick look at each agency request going into the new fiscal year.

Tuscaloosa Public Library

• 2022 funding from Northport: $128,500
• Funding requested for FY23: $228,500
• The funding would cover: a remoteLocker at Northport City Hall, additional digital content, continued programming in Northport, StoryWalk along the Northport Levee Trail and covering increased operational costs.

Kentuck Art Center

• 2022 funding from Northport: $75,000
• Funding requested for FY23: $100,000
• The funding would cover: hiring a full-time teaching artist, advertising to a wider audience, keeping aging buildings in use and increased programming.

FOCUS 50+

• 2022 funding from Northport: $30,000
• Funding requested for FY23: $80,000
• The funding would cover: Increase volunteer opportunities, senior nutrition centers, educational programs and hiring a part-time driver to help meet needs.
• The funding would cover: Costs to provide services in Northport aimed at meeting the needs of seniors to keep them active, healthy and independent. The request comes after FOCUS's funding was cut in half during last year's budget cycle.

Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority

• 2022 funding from Northport: $30,000
• Funding requested for FY23: $50,000
• The funding would cover: TCEDA's efforts to work with both Mercedes Benz U.S> International in Vance on its electric vehicle production efforts, along with TCEDA's work with the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology, or CIROH — a research collaboration of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and researchers at the University of Alabama, which focusing on studying issues relating to drinking water not just at the local level, but around the world.

Friends of Historic Northport

• 2022 funding from Northport: $10,000
• Funding requested for FY23: $15,000
• The funding would cover: Developing an app to both digitize the nonprofit's various collections, but also serve as a handy guide for the different properties managed by Friends of Historic Northport.

Warrior Baseball

• 2022 funding from Northport: $25,000
• Funding requested for FY23: $40,000
• The funding would cover: Gas, material costs and other costs associated with the rapidly-growing youth baseball league.

The Arts Council

• Funding requested for FY23: $100,000 for the Rose Fine Arts Initiative and a $50,000 capital request.
• The funding would cover: Funding for fine arts programs in Northport schools, while the capital request would go toward much-needed improvements at the Bama Theater.

Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority (PARA)

• 2022 funding from Northport: $236,000
• Funding requested for FY23: $500,000 base appropriation, $1.6 million for capital investment recommendations.
• The funding would cover: The development of a Northport dog park, Kentuck Park improvements and Northport Community Center enhancements. It's worth noting that City Administrator Glenda Webb had questions regarding a proposed pickleball facility at Kentuck Park and asked that PARA tweak its request to be more reflective of the desires previously expressed by Northport officials.

Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports

• 2022 funding from Northport: $25,000
• Funding requested for FY23: $50,000
• The funding would cover: Digital campaign for encouraging guests to visit, investment in TTS's visitor intelligence operating system, partnerships to promote fishing events on the Black Warrior River, the ability to host travel writers who can then highlight what Northport has to offer and funding for strategic planning over the next 3-5 years.

West Alabama Food Bank

• Funding requested for FY23: $30,000 in operating support and $25,000 in capital support
• The funding would cover: Expansion of services, in addition to moving into a new facility at the former Buffalo Rock building. This will include constructing the largest cooler and freezer space in west Alabama.

First time funding agency requests for FY23

• UCP of West Alabama: $10,000
• Arts & Autism: $7,500
• Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre: $20,000

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