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An Athens County budget decision complicates future funding for the Baileys Trail System
By: David Forster
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — The organization that oversees the Baileys Trail System in Athens County is losing half of its annual membership funding this year. And that puts the other half at risk.
The loss also will make it more difficult for the organization to secure grant funds to support its efforts, according to its executive director.
The Baileys Trail System is a network of mountain biking trails winding through old coal mining lands that has been under development for several years. So far, 58 of the planned 88 miles of trails have been completed.
However, the Athens County commissioners on Tuesday adopted a 2024 budget that does not include its ORCA dues.
This was a result of two things coming together: The commissioners were coming up more than $300,000 short in making their budget balance. And one of the commissioners objected to paying more dues to ORCA.
“I’m not going to support giving them money when we’re cutting county employees and county budgets,” said Commissioner Charlie Adkins.
Adkins noted that in 2021 ORCA asked the commissioners to commit to paying three years of dues. He opposed a three-year commitment and the commissioners essentially agreed to take it one year at a time.
Adkins said Tuesday that ORCA has gotten the three years of dues it asked for plus more — in August, the county gave ORCA more than $230,000 in pandemic relief funds. He also noted the organization has received more than $7 million in grants.
“It’s time that they get it on their own,” he said.
The county’s decision not to pay its dues this year complicates things for the city of Athens.
Mayor Steve Patterson said the city has already budgeted to make its $90,000 dues payment this year. However, when the city agreed to pay dues to ORCA, it made this contingent on the county paying an equal amount.
Now in order for the city to make its dues payment this year, this language would have to be changed, which would require a legislative amendment by the City Council.
Council President Sam Crowl said ORCA’s executive director, Jessie Powers, is already scheduled to appear before the council in late February for her annual report. So he doesn’t expect any action on the dues issue until then.
Powers said the ORCA board of directors has not yet had a chance to meet to discuss the county’s decision and what it means for the organization.
Powers said the $180,000 combined that ORCA receives in annual dues from the city and county not only helps fund its operations, but just as important, it helps the organization compete for grants.
The dues show a commitment to the organization and its mission by local governments, she said, which is something grantors want to see.
“Our organization was really built upon the strength of local investments,” Powers said.
Also, very little of the grant funds ORCA receives can be used to pay for its day-to-day operations, she said. Of the $7.1 million ORCA received in two recent grants, only $125,000 could be spent on administration.
This was used to hire a director of finance, Powers said, a critical position for going after more grant funding.
One of those two grants was for $4.1 million to build more trails and the other, for $3 million, is to build a 5,000-square-foot multiuse commercial space near the Chauncey trailhead. The plans for this building are to provide services to people who use the trails, including a restaurant and other food vendors, bicycle rentals and a visitor kiosk.