Hannah Adams, executive director of Cornerstone Community Action Agency, told the Callahan County commissioners court on Aug. 18 that her agency serves residents across 11 counties and asked the court to consider an annual county contribution to keep a local caseworker and services in Callahan County.

Adams said Cornerstone's impact report shows the agency served 5,411 people across its service area, with a total impact figure listed as $8,345,450, and that for Callahan County specifically the agency assisted 172 people with about $193,514 in direct payments to consumers. She said the agency reported preventing six foreclosures in Callahan County in the last year and estimated a return-on-investment range per avoided foreclosure; “if you just take that number and you say, okay...the average is 35,000 times 6, there's 210,000 that saved this economy from people not being homeless,” Adams said.

Why this matters: Adams asked the court for recurring local support so Cornerstone can continue to maintain a weekly local caseworker and subsidize services that are not fundable from federal grants. She said other small counties in Cornerstone's service area typically contribute about $6,000 annually and that she had seen some counties budget as little as $5,000.

Discussion and tentative direction
Commissioners discussed where a county allocation would fit in the draft budget's "other social services" line. Commissioner comments in the workshop favored keeping an annual county allocation for Cornerstone but aligning it with other small social-service allotments rather than funding the full amount Adams requested. One commissioner said they would like to see the agency receive $14,000 but others noted that several local volunteer fire departments and libraries also received county support this year and recommended parity with those recurring small grants.

County Auditor Sandra said she could add a new line item for Cornerstone in the "other social services" section and that she would reflect the court's direction in the draft budget for the Monday adoption packet. No formal vote or budget adoption for Cornerstone funding occurred at the Aug. 18 workshop; Sandra said the commissioners would decide during the public budget hearing and adoption meeting scheduled for Aug. 25.

Ending
Adams told commissioners she would be glad to follow up and provide county-specific detail and contact information. The court did not take a formal vote; the matter will be included in the Aug. 25 adoption materials for formal consideration.