Outside agencies seeking city dollars made their cases — as they do each winter —to the Washington City Council during its meeting Monday.

The agencies are asking for a combined $164,414, according to their requests. Two new entities — Daughters of Worth and the Pamlico Rose Institute for Sustainable Communities — are among the agencies seeking city funds. Pamlico Rose Institute for Sustainable Communities is seeking $10,000. Daughters of Worth seeks $500.

The institute rehabilitates failing or vacant historic houses for use in residential programs for female veterans and disabled veterans and their families. Daughters of Worth, which started in Greenville, is expanding into Beaufort County. The nonprofit’s website says it provides young girls with the tools needed to be successful in life.

Washington’s current budget allocates $126,680 in direct and in-kind contributions to outside agencies and some economic-development entities.

Councilman Doug Mercer wants a policy that addresses funding the outside agencies and economic-development groups.

“Every year we come up here — we’re going to do it tonight — we’re going to listen to various agencies make requests for city monies. Then we sit here and hem and haw about what we’re going to do, how much we’re going to give. It’s time to establish a policy that says here’s the way we’re going to handle funding for outside agencies,” Mercer said. “I have you a suggestion. Mr. (Roland) Wyman is the only one I’ve heard back from. I think we need to discuss an agency funding policy, establish a policy. Then everyone will know where we stand. We’ll know how we’re going to do it. The outside agencies will know how we’re going to do it, and we’ll get rid of this scrabble we have every year at budget time about how much or how little we’re going to fund.”

Councilwoman Virginia Finnerty offered a suggestion regarding the outside agencies. “I would like to change the name to support agencies. I feel like the outside agency name is very negative and makes us feel like we’re throwing our money away when, in fact, it’s a very good cause for all of them,” she said.

During its upcoming budget meetings, the council will determine which entities receive city dollars and how much they will be allocated.

The following is a list of the agencies (excluding Daughters of Worth and Pamlico Rose Institute for Sustainable Communities) and their funding requests:

• Arts of the Pamlico, $15,000;
• Boys & Girls Club of the Coastal Plain, $20,000;
• Zion Shelter and Kitchen, $7,600;
• Highway 17 Association, $7,500;
• Purpose of God Annex Outreach Center, $11,664;
• Eagle’s Wings, $1,000;
• Kiwanis Club of Washington, $1,350;
• Wright Flight, $5,000;
• Washington Harbor District Alliance, $55,000;
• Cornerstone Community Learning Center, $7,000;
• North Carolina Estuarium, $15,000;
• Beaufort-Hyde-Martin Regional Library, $7,800.