 "Photo: scottyshouse.org")
Scotty's House, a child advocacy center, has been voted off the jurors' donation list by the Brazos County Commissioners Court in a close 3-2 vote in early October.
The jurors' donation list is a list of options for jurors who want to donate daily pay to organizations. Jurors can still donate to the two statute-mandated options, the Child Welfare Board and the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund.
The decision could cost Scotty's House a large fraction of donations.
McDaniel said Scotty's House would lose an average of $20,000 a year from donations.
"The money from donations helps pay for medical examinations and equipment, along with other general operating costs," McDaniel said.
"It also helps because we are supposed to receive some reimbursements from law enforcement agencies for the services we provide, even though we don't always receive them."
The Commissioners Court decision was a close one, with one vote making the difference. Commissioners Kenny Mallard, who originally made the motion to add Scotty's House to the juror's donation list, and Irma Cauley both voted to keep Scotty's House in the list.
"The main reason behind the decision was that the other members probably didn't want to get over involved," said Kenny Mallard, Commissioner for Precinct 3. "They were concerned about just doing what the statute mandated, because they thought it would ultimately cost the county more money."
On the other hand, the commissioners who voted for taking Scotty's House off the juror list cited the decision was too problematic for and complex for the county. County Judge Randy Sims was among those who voted against Scotty's House placement on the list.
"What it all boils down to is the matter that if we leave Scotty's House on the list, we would have to allow other worthy nonprofit organizations into the list," Sims said. "This would create a lot of costs, since we would have to keep track of them and investigate all of them to make sure they are in fact nonprofit.
"This shouldn't be confused with the county telling anybody what nonprofit to support or not to support. Jurors can still get paid and donate their pay at a later time and write it off in their income tax."
In order to avoid more controversies, criteria may be used to add organizations to the list in the future.
"For example, what I call jail diversion programs," Mallard said. "These are organizations that help keep kids stay away from drugs, crime and jail."
Sims' administrative clerk said a reconsideration of the vote will be not be brought up at tomorrow's commissioner meeting that is open to the public.
Scotty's House will still be able to meet this year's budget thanks to the generosity of donors who heard of their situation and donated money to cover the financial gap.
Donors, such as Addie and James H. Stasny, who donated the $20,000 needed to meet this year's budget.
"They are really just angels that came to help us," McDaniel said.
Scotty's House opened in 1995 as a nonprofit organization that provides a child-friendly environment for children who have suffered physical or sexual abuse. The house allows for children to obtain the medical and mental health services needed and for police officials and related law enforcement professionals to obtain information in cases where child abuse is suspected.
"Children are brought to get physical evaluation, counseling services and forensic interviews," said Lynn McDaniel, a Scotty's House Board Member. "We allow the different multidisciplinary team to unite in one place, which makes the experience for the child that much smoother."
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