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Commission approves rural-county grant allocation; debate continues over infrastructure versus scholarships and business grants
Summary
The commission approved the Millard County media (economic development) board's recommended FY2026 allocations — scholarships, regional council funding, small business grants and workforce development — but commissioners debated whether to prioritize infrastructure or larger community projects instead of multiple small grants.
The Millard County Commission voted to accept the Media Board's recommended division of FY2026 rural county grant funds and to authorize staff to apply for the $200,000 allocation, after an extended discussion about how best to spend limited funds. Abby, the county economic development director, presented the Media Board's recommendation: $40,000 for scholarships, $20,000 for the regional council contract, $125,000 for small business grants and $15,000 for workforce development. "In the past 9 months I've secured $730,000 in outside grant money for Millard County," Abby said, describing outreach to businesses and training partners. Commissioners asked whether the Media Board could pursue larger infrastructure projects that would benefit many residents rather than a series of smaller, individual grants. Abby and others said state rules governing the rural county grant can restrict certain infrastructure uses but that avenues exist for industrial-park infrastructure or projects limited to economic-development uses. "You can use it to develop an industrial park if you wanted to... but you cannot use the funds to connect to the industrial park," Abby said, summarizing guidance she had received during state training. Commissioner discussion emphasized scholarships and workforce development as high-leverage uses, while some commissioners urged the board to seek larger, countywide projects and to coordinate with towns and the AgriPark on food-processing and other industrial opportunities. The commission approved the Media Board recommendation on a voice vote with one commissioner noting a preference to revisit dollar splits if a qualifying infrastructure opportunity emerges. Ending: The commission authorized applying for the FY2026 rural county grant under the Media Board's recommended allocation. Commissioners directed Abby to convene the board and county leaders to further explore larger projects and to return to the commission if amended allocations are needed before funds are spent.
