Centralia Mayor Bryan Kuder has responded to comments made by the Executive Director of the Centralia Community Youth Center Herb Williams about dropping the summer youth employment program that allows the center to conduct summer camps for children.
Kuder says the city added $10,000 to their contribution to the center this year to allow for the center to add the employees.
“We do invest in the youth of the city of Centralia and in that program. We really do and that is something that we really care about. We don’t like to be told you aren’t doing this or that when the general public usually doesn’t know. So I wanted to make that clear. We give them the money so it is up to the Executive Director to make sure that you are financially responsible to further those programs.”
Kuder says the $10,000 is on top of the yearly $45,000 city contribution. He notes the city owns the building and provides it rent-free to the youth center board and also pays utilities and liability insurance.
Williams said at the last meeting if the city didn’t provide the summer youth jobs the camps that provide activities for hundreds of kids each summer wouldn’t be possible.
