As expected each year, the Limestone County Commission received a litany of requests for appropriations as it prepared for the upcoming fiscal year. On Monday, many of those requests were granted, though not all to the extent hoped.

According to a summary list of approved public appropriations, more than $600,000 was granted, including $113,905 for the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama. All but two of the groups listed to receive funds in fiscal year 2021 received the same amount of funding in FY 2020.

Those two are the MHCNCAL, which received $103,905 in FY 2020 and will receive that plus $10,000 for its Step Up Program in FY 2021, and Trinity-Ft. Henderson, which received $5,000 in FY 2020 but will receive no funding in FY 2021. County accountant Emily Ezzell said the latter did not receive funding because it was never requested.

Ezzell explained funding for the FY 2021 appropriations comes from multiple areas — solid waste fees, lodging tax and ad valorem tax, to name a few. Some of the funding is labeled for a specific purpose, she said, such as using lodging tax only for tourism and tourism-related purposes.

To that end, the list includes $40,000 from the Tourism, Recreation and Convention fund for the Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives, $2,000 for the Storytelling Festival, $4,000 for “Fire Works” and $5,000 for the Singing River Trail.

Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful is set to receive $25,000 from the “Landfill Account,” which Ezzell explained is funding through a portion of the solid waste fee on residents’ utility bills. She said Limestone County receives $1 per customer per bill, amounting to about $289,600 for the county in FY 2021.

The bulk of the appropriation funding is coming from the public health fund, including the money for MHCNCAL. The Limestone County Health Department is set to receive $200,000, while the Birdie Thornton Center will receive $7,000, according to the list.

The remainder comes from the commission’s general fund and totals more than $263,000. The list includes the following as appropriation recipients:

• Limestone County Economic Development Association, $90,000;

• Athens-Limestone County Public Library, $50,000;

• Pryor Field Airport Authority, $30,000;

• Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama, $2,500;

• Community Action Partnership of North Alabama, $5,000;

• Athens Main Street, $10,000;

• Learn-to-Read Council, $3,500;

• Athens-Limestone County Family Resource Center, $20,000 plus utilities;

• Limestone Child Advocacy Center, $20,000;

• Alabama Mountains, Rivers & Valleys Resource Conservation & Development Council, $3,000;

• Beautification Board, $1,500;

• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, $2,500; and

• Soil & Conservation, $5,000.