Council to Discuss Keeping Hall Open : Fillmore: State cuts jeopardize the Veterans Memorial Building. The public is invited to offer ideas on how to generate the needed funds.

With one of its most vital community buildings threatened with closure from state budget cuts, the Fillmore City Council will meet Tuesday at the Veterans Memorial Building to find a means to keep the meeting hall open to the public.

The council and the five-member Memorial Building District Board will hold a brainstorming session beginning at 7 p.m. The public is welcome.

“The building has pretty much served as Fillmore’s community center for 40 years,” said building manager Jon Holley. “To lose it would be terrible.”

The district expects to lose at least 16% of its property tax revenues, slicing its annual budget from about $115,000 to $78,000, Holley said. The nonprofit district is funded by property tax revenue, a special tax assessment and rental fees.

“It will be a crushing blow,” he said. The building requires at least $100,000 to remain open year-round and could be forced to close seven months of the year, Holley said.

“That means rental fee losses, which only compounds our problems,” he said.

Built in 1952, the building at 511 2nd St. is rented regularly by service clubs, nonprofit organizations, schools, area residents and other groups.

“It is the most-used building in the city and really the whole district,” said board President Charles Hanna.

The building is one of the area’s few facilities able to accommodate about 400 people. Hanna said the board will learn the exact amount of budget cuts early next month.

“The Memorial Building is an important part of this community,” Fillmore Mayor Michael McMahan said. “It has to stay open. We’re going to do whatever is possible to make sure it does.”

Among the options that may be discussed to keep the building open year-round are city subsidies for water, trash and maintenance services. The city may also help pay for liability insurance, Holley said.

“That’s the big one. If they can do that, that would save about $16,000,” Holley said.