While attendance has slowly been climbing, and the current financial situation appears strong, the Scott County Historical Society isn’t ready to take the leap and hire a full-time director.
That decision led to a few contentious moments during Tuesday’s SCHS board meeting.
Board member Jerry Thomas, whose art gallery opened in May as an addition to the El Quartelejo Museum, expressed his support for hiring a director as the next step in promoting growth of the museum and gallery.
He couldn’t find any other support among the board which was reluctant to make that kind of financial commitment at this time.
“I appreciate the board’s caution, but a director can coordinate promotional efforts and pay their way,” noted Thomas.
Despite $88,500 in cash available for operations - an increase of $21,330 compared to a year ago - consensus of the board was not to make the commitment to hire a director at this time. Ernie Smith, the board treasurer, noted that while current revenue figures through the first seven months are better than last year, expenses are also on the rise due to increased operating costs of the gallery.
Expenses during this same time have nearly doubled to just under $60,000. As a result, net income has slipped by almost $42,000 - to $53,609 through the end of July.
A lot of those “income” figures are somewhat skewed because of donations to the Thomas Gallery while it was under construction. Donations were $43,538 from January through July of this year and $35,465 for the same period a year earlier. Now that the gallery is completed, the level of donations will likely diminish.
The board noted that the level of revenue and expenses are uncertain for the remainder of this year.
Gift shop sales since the opening of the gallery has become a more significant part of historical society earnings. Since opening the first weekend in May, gift shop income for the gallery has amounted to more than $18,000 compared to just $934 for the same period in 2009.
On the flip side, the cost of merchandise for the gift shop has been just over $24,000.
The other two major financial contributors to the historical society in 2010 are a sales tax grant from the City of Scott City in the amount of $23,250 and another $34,150 from the county.
When making application for county funding, Thomas pointed out that the request specifically mentioned the historical society desire to establish a “funding routine to help pay for a director.”
“I don’t think the commissioners want to be asked for money that isn’t going to be used for that purpose,” said Thomas.
SCHS President Marilyn Miller said long-range plans to hire a director have been part of the annual request for funding from the county.
“It’s more important for us to keep the doors open than to hire a director at this time,” said board member Larry Hoeme. “I don’t see that we have the funding for a director.”
Board member Junior Strecker shared in that sentiment, suggesting the hiring of a director could wait. Thomas asked when the museum last had a full-time director and was told it was 2000. A state grant paid the salary of a director for one year, but when the grant money expired the historical society didn’t feel it had the finances to keep that position.