The Kanawha County Commission was able to reduce its cuts to outside agencies after negotiating $300,000 from its insurance company.
The commission had originally projected $430,000 in cuts to outside agencies, but was able to reduce the number to $215,000, placating many of the agencies.
There were two agencies that were originally projected to lose all funding - the Chemical Alliance Zone and the West Virginia University Extension branch in Kanawha County.
Both agencies ended up receiving funding.
Instead of a $60,000 cut, WVU Extension only lost $20,000.
The Chemical Alliance Zone engaged in the only battle of the night, trying to get $20,000 worth of funding.
The group works to recruit and maintain chemical jobs in the state.
In the end, the commission settled on giving the Chemical Alliance Zone $15,000.
But, both Commission President Kent Carper and Commissioner Dave Hardy stressed that they wanted to see more results from the Chemical Alliance Zone and the Charleston Area Alliance.
"We keep looking for the big announcement," Hardy said.
The Charleston Area Alliance's budget cut was reduced from a proposed $95,000 cut to a $60,000 cut. The alliance will have to earn its money quarterly, through presenting its progress to the Commission four times a year.
The health department was originally slated to lose $100,000 in funding, but after meeting with commissioners and with the additional money, it only lost $40,000.
The Heroin Eradication Associated Task Force pledged $5,000 to the health department for its needle exchange program. In the past two months, 397 patients have come through and the program has exchanged 10,000 needles.
Camp Virgil Tate, which is also used by WVU Extension for its 4-H program, received a cut of $50,000 after being projected to lose $100,000 in county funds.
When Joan Baldwin, the vice president of Camp Virgil Tate's board heard the new number, she stopped her presentation, looked at her colleagues and said "we can live with that."
The Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Board also said that they could live with the original $100,000 cut to its budget.
"We're going to do whatever is necessary to be a team player to help," said Allen Tackett, president of the parks commission.
In the end, the parks only received a $50,000 cut.
Tackett said that golf revenue from Big Bend golf course and Coonskin golf course will be a major driver in the parks' funds.
Two agencies, the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association and Kanawha Valley Senior Services, did not receive any cuts to its budget.
The commission also identified its five component agencies, which will give the county a clean audit. The commission will have to include the audits of those agencies in its audit reports in the future.
In other news, the county discussed the legislative agenda.
Three bills that the county proposed have made it into or are likely to become law.
They are a bill (HB 4668) that would allow counties to use a higher percentage of coal severance revenue to pay for personal services, a bill (SB 27) that would allow counties to deduct delinquent tax collection costs from distributing to levying bodies and a bill (HB 4235) that changes the claims period on estates from 90 days to 60 days.
At the beginning of the meeting, the commission passed a resolution honoring George Washington High School's girls volleyball team, which went 65-1-1 and won the state championship.
The commission also approved Brian Jones, a soon-to-be retired Charleston Police Officer, to serve as a security officer in Kanawha County Domestic Violence Court. Last year, the court saw about 500 cases a month.
Reach Daniel Desrochers at dan.desrochers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4886 or @drdesrochers on Twitter.