Sarasota County cuts Planned Parenthood funding

October 23, 2008, Sarasota Herald Tribune

By Zac Anderson

Sarasota County reduced its budget for social services agencies by 13 percent this year, cutting a total of $1.2 million. But only an allocation of $12,500 to Planned Parenthood proved to be controversial.

The Sarasota County Commission agreed today to eliminate a grant for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida after heated public debate. Planned Parenthood was already facing a 50 percent cut in the $25,000 grant it received last year because of across-the-board reductions implemented by the county due to declining tax revenues.

But commissioners decided to cut the remaining $12,500 following public comments. It was the only one of 45 groups receiving a share of $7.4 million in social services funds that the commissioners singled out for a funding cut.

Four other groups were denied funding after an advisory group recommended they be cut.

Commissioners said Planned Parenthood was financially stable with a budget of $8 million for the region and didn’t need the county’s money.