Despite recent challenges, Outback seeking support from town

Amid recent scandals and a potential budget cut, the Outback Teen Center's board of directors has started an online petition asking the town to support the facility.

The move comes weeks after the town's Health and Human Services Department announced it was cutting its annual contribution to the Outback by 12.5 percent. If the budget is approved as is, the Outback would receive $17,500 from the town for 2014-15. Last year, it received $20,000, and the year before it got $28,000.

"This will negatively impact the longevity of the Center," the petition states. "Close to $2 million was invested by parents and the community to build the facility 12 years ago, and it would be a travesty to lose it. By signing this petition you are indicating that you value the Outback and consider it an important asset for our youth and community."

The $17,500 must still be approved by the Board of Finance and Town Council, though the latter does not have the power to increase any budgets.

Outback's Community Director Christine Simmons said the amount the Human Services Department is proposing to give them represents less than a 10th of the center's $250,000 annual budget. The rest of the funding is raised through private donations. Percentage wise, the center receives a smaller town contribution than do the teen centers in Darien and Wilton, according to Outback documents.

"It is very difficult to provide programming for our young people with the town support of less than 9 percent of the Outback's budgeted income," Simmons said. "Our Outback board members and our Outback staff work hard and devote many hours of time to raise money for operating expenses and programs."

Human Services Director Carol McDonald declined to comment specifically why her department has decided to cut funding for the Outback, but she said it supports the teen center.

"Human Services supports all the Outback's endeavors," she said in an email. "Our Youth Services staff continues to work jointly with them as well as other youth providers in New Canaan."

Dividing the pie

In a January presentation to the town governing bodies, McDonald said the department did the best it could to shift money around instead of requesting a big increase. Her department is requesting a $690,554 budget for 2014-15, a 1.5 percent increase over 2013-14.

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Despite recent challenges, Outback seeking support from town