The Urbana City Council discussed possible changes to the social services funding for 2013 at its regular meeting Monday. 

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing announced three suggestions to continue funding social service agencies, such as homeless shelters and food banks, that benefit the cities of Urbana and Champaign and how they can work together to address the needs of the agencies.

For 2013, Prussing proposed that the city keep funding consistent with its $313,400 commitment in 2012. 

“I’d like to see Champaign decide what they would donate money for and if they match (our funding),” she said. “I hope they pay to match their population.”

City officials from Urbana have met with Champaign city officials to discuss collaboration, but Urbana has not received a response from them. They will continue discussion over the next few months.

Urbana funds 22 service agencies, but they directly benefit the only Urbana community.

Libby Tyler, Urbana city planner, said that although Champaign has moved away from smaller grants to focus resources on bigger social service projects, Urbana is looking for a more balanced funding of agencies that serve both communities.

“Only one city is taking care of the agencies that serve both cities — and it’s the smaller one,” she said.

Because of limited funding, Prussing also proposed that eligibility to apply for funding should only be offered to agencies that the city currently supports.

She said she wants to explore options for a summer youth employment program, a project Champaign currently supports.

Alderman Dennis Roberts, Ward 5, said he would support more youth employment programs and would like to see if businesses would be interested in extending their summer work programs.

“There are so many young people who could benefit from part-time employment,” he said. “Heck, there are a lot of adults that could use some employment.”

Council members also discussed primary education as a priority for social service funding.

Although Alderman Charlie Smyth, Ward 1, agrees that preschool programs are a priority, he said he thinks it is more important to look at consolidating funding for agencies.

“We have a set of core programs we have been funding,” he said. “We should commit a number of money after evaluating them and look to any places where we have duplicate services for where we can consolidate.”

City council members will make final changes to the application that will ask agencies to re-evaluate their efficiency and need for funding and how they collaborate with similar agencies in the community at their meeting next week.

Corinne can be reached at [email protected].

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Urbana funds 22 service agencies that directly benefit only the Urbana community. In fact, after Champaign cut social service spending several years ago, Urbana took on the funding of 22 service agencies that serve both communities. The Daily Illini regrets this error.