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Board agrees to back $500,000 RFA for local administrative advisor program and funds five rural scholarships
Summary
Board members authorized staff to circulate a letter of support to restore $500,000 in local administrative advisor funding and approved a five‑scholarship pilot for rural local administrative advisors funded by the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman.
At the start of the meeting staff briefed the board about the local administrative advisor (LAA) program and a staff-led request to the governor to restore $500,000 that had been cut from the program at the end of the session.
Molly (program staff) told the board the RFA request is for $500,000 and that the state budget environment will make restoration difficult, so a board-signed letter of support and circulation among LEA mayors would be helpful. "We are pursuing a staff, and it would be very helpful if we had a letter of support from the board," Molly said. Board members agreed and moved to authorize staff to draft and circulate the letter; the motion passed unanimously.
Molly also reported a separate funding win: the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman provided outside funding for a pilot of five rural scholarships for LAAs to attend the annual convention. McKenna (staff) explained the scholarships will cover registration, mileage (travel from the city represented), and lodging at a conference hotel. The program targets small rural communities that have not attended a ULCT conference in the last five years; staff will circulate the application to LAAs and AOGs (Area Organizations of Governments) with an aim to encourage geographic diversity.
The board also noted that John Hart is stepping down as LAA program director and that McKenna and contracted staff will continue administrative support while replacements are arranged.
Why it matters: the LAA program provides training and technical support; restoration of $500,000 in state funds would sustain local advisory services. The scholarship pilot aims to broaden participation from rural jurisdictions and build local capacity.
What’s next: staff will draft and circulate the endorsement letter to the governor and will circulate the scholarship application to the AOGs and LAAs. The board asked staff to keep members informed of any political developments in the RFA process.
