After two votes, the Bowling Green City Commission has okay'd a new budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

After Thursday night's Commission meeting, there were two non-profit agencies that were feeling left out.

Times are tough for the South Central Kentucky chapter of the American Red Cross and Warren County Emergency Management.

The Commission came up with an additional $15,800 in their budget.

So both organizations came to the City Commission seeking financial aid, but instead they were turned down.

"Several years ago, the organization was receiving $68-70,000 and we have been cut back to zero," says Red Cross Executive Director, Jennifer Capps.

The Red Cross will lose their funding from the United Way at the end of the month, which seriously effects their productivity.

"We rely a lot more on other community agencies for referrals and assistance. We're not as lenient with the dollars we can hand out unfortunately Red Cross has some must do services," says Capps.

They hoped the city could help them out with at least $5,000 in funding, but they were denied.

Commissioners Brian Strow, Bruce Wilkerson and Brian "Slim" Nash all decided against giving the non-profit money because of a city policy that doesn't allow united way-supported organization to receive funding from the city.

"They fall in between the crack, between what the city's policy has been to not fund those agencies that go to the United Way so in essence, they wouldn't be getting from both locations," says Commissioner Wilkerson.

"I think that what it does is that it simply does "government double-speak" and it puts those organizations in between a rock and a hard place," disputes Mayor Walker.

Another organization that is in dire need of funding is Warren County Emergency Management.

The EM has been on an extremely tight budget since the county's budget shortfall this year.

They'll now have to get rid of their pro-active training due to a lack of staffing.

"With our reduction in staff, we're already having to work overtime just to meet the minimum requirements. Without those fundings, the overtime will have to be cut," says EM Executive Director Ronnie Pearson.

Now with the Commission's denial of their request Thursday, Emergency Management will also have to look elsewhere.

"Unfortunately, we're very limited being and entity of government, as to what we can. We're always applying for grants and additional outside sources but those are very limited and few and far between," says Pearson.

Mayor Walker says since the money won't go to a non-profit, it'll be put back into the city's general fund.

I asked Mayor Walker why the Commission hadn't already addressed the United Way issue before this budget and she told me this is the first time the issue had ever happened.