DANVILLE — With less income from races and corporate donors, Montour County needs to explore new ways of funding recreation, a commissioner says.

Montour Area Recreation Commission director Bob Stoudt told commissioners Tuesday that his organization faces a $16,000 deficit this year in its operation of Hess Field, and it won’t survive until December without additional funding.

Stoudt said income from races and corporate donors used to help keep MARC going, but some races were cut because they were losing money, and some donors closed or moved out of the area. Each year, MARC has to provide $15,000 to keep up Hess Field, which includes five miles of trails, softball fields, a lacrosse field, skatepark and other facilities.

Recently, most donations MARC receives are earmarked to keep the Montour Preserve near Washingtonville open, Stoudt said. That makes it even more difficult to raise money needed for other expenses.

‘Regroup’
Montour County commissioner Ken Holdren said in light of the changing funding sources, MARC and the county will have to find ways to partner with others corporate and private entities to continue to offer recreation facilities to residents.

The county gives MARC the $25,000 it receives annually from gas drilling fees, along with about $5,000 from the hotel tax fund.

MARC used to receive more, but with the group running fewer events that may attract tourists, Stoudt said he didn’t feel right asking for a higher amount.

Commissioners Tuesday allocated $3,000 in hotel taxes for the Rivertowns Race Series and $2,000 for signs on the North Branch Trail.

The gas-drilling allocation goes toward MARC’s operation expenses, Stoudt said. But the organization still has a projected shortage of $16,750 for the year, he said.

Of that $25,000, commissioners agreed to release $7,500 in anticipated income now to keep MARC going and hand over the $17,500 balance when it is received in June or July.

“We want to continue to deliver recreation support to citizens, and have to figure out a different way to do it,” said Holdren. “At this stage we have to regroup and continue to make sure these types of resources are available.”

Holdren said that may include seeking new corporate sponsors and asking Danville Borough to reconsider its contributions, which includes mostly services.

‘Always people there’
Commissioner Trevor Finn said if MARC’s shortfall is almost entirely from Hess Field, then shutting it down would make sense.

But he uses the facility and says he sees many other local residents using it as well.

Spending $14,000 to keep Hess Field open is a lot less expensive than having a kid who uses the field end up getting in trouble, or having an adult user end up in the hospital due to a lack of activity.

“I think we need to do what’s necessary to keep MARC going,” he said. “There’s always people there, and they’re from here.”