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GREENSBORO — As county commissioners say the county’s budget must be slashed and employees must be laid off, some commissioners are pushing to spend a half-million dollars more on community groups.

Those organizations, which include arts groups, YMCAs and community and economic development groups, are often where battle lines are drawn when commissioners vote on the budget.

Some of those groups that would receive funding under county manager Brenda Jones Fox’s 2009-10 budget proposal missed the first deadline to apply. One never did apply.

But some of that funding helps curry favor from commissioners to pass the budget.

“If it takes some funding for important community groups to satisfy some commissioners, then I’m willing to take that,” said Steve Arnold, vice chairman of the Board of Commissioners .

Arnold has led the charge to cut the budget, which does not include any tax increase under the current proposal.

“And this budget overall has had reductions of over $40 million across the board,” he said.

Meanwhile, proposed spending would double for the theater performances of the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival from $25,000 to $50,000 — and that group didn’t even apply for an increase .

“Usually Bruce (Davis, a High Point county commissioner ) supports that, and that’s a High Point event,” said Commissioner Carolyn Coleman .

Davis also supports the Nia Community Action Center, which works to educate people about HIV and AIDS. That center would receive $25,000 in public funds that it did not in 2008-09.

Davis did not return a phone message Friday .

The HIV/AIDS group applied by the first deadline.

But others missed that deadline and applied after an extension, including the Hayes Taylor YMCA ($300,000) , Carl Chavis YMCA ($25,000) , Malachi House ($25,000) , Joseph’s House ($50,000) and the War Memorial Foundation ($50,000) .

Coleman supports arts groups such as the Greensboro and High Point arts councils, which would receive $100,000 and $75,000, respectively . Neither of those proposals would be an increase over the current budget.

At least one commissioner believes that the community group money could be better spent elsewhere.

“We’re suspending our own projects, and we’re handing out money for others,” said Commissioner Billy Yow .

As community organizations receive roughly $500,000, the county’s libraries would lose nearly that much in Fox’s proposal. And Guilford County Schools face a reduction of $3 million for maintenance money .

As those figures come forward, some commissioners say they still haven’t reviewed the budget. Copies were given to commissioners Thursday , and the proposal is available online.

“I don’t know until we get into the budget process,” said Commissioner Linda Shaw , who missed the budget proposal to attend another meeting in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

Shaw, along with Yow and Coleman, said she hadn’t been able to review the county’s budget by Friday. And, as in every year, commissioners are sure to talk to one another to pass the budget.

“I need to hear what the thinking is of those who are supporting those (community organizations),” Shaw said.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt @news-record.com