The Greater Maple Valley Community Center is set to close its children and family programs Oct. 31 due to budget cuts.

Community Center Executive Director Mark Pursley announced the changes last week as a result of years of running a budget deficit and using reserves to make ends meet.

“We’ve run an operational deficit here every year since 2008 and we’re looking at the same thing this year,” Pursley said Monday. “It’s bad enough where we’re drawing out of our reserves to meet operating expenses at this point.”

The Community Center has four main branches of programming: senior programs, youth programs that serve teens, community programs and children and family.

Children and family programs at the center include Toddler Time, family movie nights, Play and Learn, a school readiness co-op, babysitting classes as well as family movie night. There are a variety of special events including Trick or Trunk, a bi-annual clothing exchange, parents’ night out and an annual community egg hunt.

“The big one is Toddler Time, I think that one has hit the nerve,” Pursley said. “It’s a good program, unfortunately it’s an unfunded program.”

Pursely explained more than 70 percent of the Community Center’s annual budget comes from various grant funding sources. The rest, about 30 percent, comes from program fees, fundraising, facility rentals, program sponsorships and other small donations. Much of the grant funding, Pursley said, is designated for specific programs and the money has to be spent on those programs.

“The problem is that we have had very, very, very little designated funding four our children and family program,” Pursley said. “So I’m asked often, ‘Why don’t you just take money from that program and move it over here?’ We can’t, for the most part. We do have some funds that are called discretionary that are used to fill holes, but as our overall grant monies have gone down, those discretionary funds have been spread thinner and thinner and thinner. So, the result is we have to make a significant change.”

The children and family program had a 2013 budget of $103,000 according to Pursley who said that through cost-cutting measures that number was brought down to approximately $75,000, but that still wasn’t enough and the Community Center leadership made the decision to lay off the staff member who oversees the programs and close the programs.

The community center is also cutting expenses by reducing some other programs such as drug and alcohol prevention as well as raising program fees.

“These steps we’re taking should balance our budget in 2014,” Pursley said. “But what it doesn’t do is replace any of the reserves we’re depleting. It took us a long time to get into this situation and it’s going to take us a little bit to get out.”

Community members who have attended children and family programs over the years rallied in response to the announced program closure, starting a Facebook page dedicated to saving the programs and turning out to the Maple Valley City Council meeting Monday night.

The city has supported the community center through grant funding. Pursley said this year city funding was more than $100,000 and the center has again applied for grant funding for next year.

At the City Council meeting Monday, community members took to the podium during public comment to urge the city to increase its funding of the Community Center so the programs can be maintained.

Community member Christie Cummings spoke to council and encouraged them to approve emergency funding for the children and family programs that would keep them going for three months during which time a long term solution could be worked on. She also encouraged the council to specifically designate any city funding for the programs to keep them open.

“When you (the city) give money to the community center you have the right to direct where those funds go,” Cummings said. “Clearly what needs to happen is children and family programs need to be primarily funded by the city.”

Tonia Schwope, who lives in Black Diamond and said she has attended programs at the Community Center for seven years, spoke to council about what the programs provide.

“The parents need this program almost as much as the children,” Schwope said. “They (the programs) create family memories and create community.”

Pursley said the Community Center staff is working with other community organizations in the hope that they will be able to take over running some of the programs. Pursley also said that while he won’t have a staff person to run programs any more, if community members want to take over running them he is happy to provide a space for them to meet.

“We are going to provide the services that we can afford at this point, with the full hope and expectation that as we can get back on our feet financially or establish our financial stability we can take a look at what the wants and needs of the community are and work to meet those fully,” Pursley said.

For more information about the community center go to www.maplevalleycc.org. For efforts to save the children and family programs search Saving the GMVCC Children & Family Programs on Facebook.