County asks cities to help fund VAST

SANDPOINT — To help offset an ever-tightening budget and the loss of a grant, the county is asking for outside help to fund one if its most popular programs.

Until this year, the Victims Advocate Services Team, or VAST, was primarily funded by a federal grant. When the program, which provides a plethora of services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, did not receive a grant this year, the county dipped into its reserve dollars to keep it afloat.

Now the county is asking Sandpoint, Ponderay and Priest River to pay a share of next year’s $191,254 VAST budget, according to a letter sent to the cities.

County Commissioner Cornel Rasor said the request is the most equitable way of paying for a program used by both city and country residents.

“We’re looking for the cities to obligate themselves or step up to the table and pay for the approximate amount that their services are costing,” Rasor said.

If the cities agree to the request, they would pay a combined $43,000, with Sandpoint alone paying $21,900.

Sandpoint Councilman John Reuter said he supports VAST, but feels it is unfair to ask city residents to foot the bill for the program.

“The citizens of Sandpoint already pay county taxes like every other citizen of the county,” Reuter said. “It’s not fair to ask them to also pay a second county tax through their city taxes. This is essentially a request for us to double tax the citizens of Sandpoint. For me, individually as a council member, it’s unacceptable and I’m not going to give up services in Sandpoint to go hand over more money to the county.”

Of the five VAST employees, the county is offering to pay for four, with the three cities combining to pay the salary of the fifth, according to Commissioner Joe Young

“The rationale is, ‘Hey, guys, we’re having to pick all of this up. We’ll pick up another two people, but can you guys all together pick up one?’” Young said.

Ponderay Mayor Carol Kunzeman said she will put the item on the city’s next council agenda for discussion. Priest River Mayor Jim Martin was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Sandpoint Mayor Gretchen Hellar, who recently cut $100,000 from the city’s budget to combat revenue shortfalls, said the request comes at a bad time.

“It was surprising. That’s an amazing request,” she said. “There are so many good programs that are going to have to be cut back, it really makes my heart sick.”

Hellar said the council will have final say on whether or not to add the VAST dollars into next year’s budget. The council will begin the grueling budget process later this week.