More than 6,000 people from out of the state, and even out of the country, visit the Holland Land Office Museum every year, Don Burkel, chairman of the HLOM's board of directors, told the County's Human Services Committee yesterday during a department review.
That's one of the many contributions HLOM makes to the local economy and cultural life of Genesee County, Burkel said during a lengthy presentation that outlined the many programs and exhibits hosted and promoted by the museum each year.
While not a specific budget request, department reviews to help inform legislators about what is going on in all facets of county government heading into budget talks.
Each year, HLOM receives about $37,000 from the county, after a cut in financial support of about $6,000 a year in 2010.
"The museum costs less than $1 per resident in the county," Burkel said.
Patrick Weissend, a former HLOM director who recently joined the board as vice president, said not much has changed for the HLOM budget since he ran the facility seven years ago.
"The budget remains really lean," Weissend said.
The museum is also supported by memberships and donations, but Weissend said the museum is able to tap into a fund created years ago by donations from the late Congressman Barber Conable. Conable made it a practice to donate any speaking fees he received to nonprofits in Genesee County. Those donations are preserved in an investment account.
The mission of HLOM is to preserve the museum's collection of artifacts and provide educational opportunities to the local community and visitors based on that collection.
