It’s probably time for the folks who’ve been running the Watkins Community Museum of History to pay the piper.

The Douglas County Commission says it will give the Douglas County Historical Society, which operates the community museum, an additional $25,000 next year so a development officer can be hired to try to secure grants for exhibits, boost membership and bolster endowments for future needs. But the County Commission also wants to be able to appoint a member to the society’s seven-person administrative committee, which oversees the museum’s operations with guidance from the society’s 18-member board.

The county’s suggestion is expected to be discussed at the society’s next board meeting, in September. Phil Godwin, president of the historical society, seems lukewarm to the idea. Such an appointment, he says, would circumvent a process that sees all board members elected by the society’s membership. The board then elects its own officers and member of the administrative committee.

The county is being careful not to be heavy-handed in the matter, but the fact is that public money (the county’s total support would be $105,000 next year) far exceeds the $45,000 in other donations that help keep the museum going. The county also has given money to help with building maintenance.

So it doesn’t seem unreasonable at all to have someone who could serve as a bridge to the county to be representing the public’s interest as the museum seeks to grow out of its recent struggles with unseemly public discussion about staff leadership and board direction.

And, as museum director Rebecca Phipps and others have noted, the emphasis of the new development officer’s job ultimately could make the museum rely less on public money if memberships, grants and other contributions increase.

The county is being reasonable and extending an offer of assistance at a time when many county agencies are dealing with budget cuts. The historical society members should waste no time in accepting a generous offer and acceding to a reasonable request.