A Rock County supervisor introduced a resolution on Oct. 10 that would authorize the county administrator to select local nonprofit recipients of county budget funding only after establishing a formal grant application process designed to increase transparency and equal opportunity.

The introducing supervisor said the measure aims to replace an informal selection practice with documented rules and objective criteria so taxpayer money supporting community needs is visibly allocated and accountable. The speaker said the process would give all nonprofits an equal opportunity to apply rather than relying on informal selection and would strengthen public confidence in funding decisions.

Why it matters: The resolution would change how the county selects nonprofit partners for annual budget allocations by creating an application-based process with written rules and documentation. The proposal’s sponsor said it is intended to make funding decisions visible to the public and stakeholders and to ensure accountability for taxpayer dollars.

Discussion versus action: The measure was introduced for referral; no committee vote or board adoption occurred during the Oct. 10 meeting. The speaker said they will work with Supervisor Wittlidge on the resolution wording and forward it to the appropriate committee for review.

Next steps: The resolution was submitted and will be referred to committee for consideration and potential amendment before the board votes. Supervisors are expected to review the proposed application process and criteria during committee consideration.