At its Aug. 4 work session, the Rowlett City Council debated about $258,000 in proposed fiscal-year 2026 grants to local nonprofits and moved to ask several applicants to return to a future work session with additional information rather than finalize awards.

Councilmembers said the total dollar amount and the program mix warrant clearer criteria and measurable outcomes. City Manager David read the city’s existing grant policy, which he said was adopted in March 2023 and gives “special consideration” to public safety, veteran services, low-income basic needs, community beautification, domestic-violence shelter assistance, and business retention. He told council staff would bring applicants back on Aug. 18 for follow-up presentations.

Why it matters: Councilmembers said the grant program has grown to a roughly quarter-million-dollar level and want to balance community benefit against stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Several members pressed for stronger performance metrics and clearer descriptions of how funds would be spent before approving new or late applications.

Council discussion and next steps

Councilmembers identified a mixed set of recommendations for individual applicants: Rowlett Citizen Corps Council (RCCC) — yes; Keep Rowlett Beautiful (KRB, covered by an existing MOU) — yes (treated separately from the competitive grant pool); Sensory Tent Pals Inc. — yes (one-time purchase of an event trailer); Harvest Life Family Ministries — maybe (council asked follow-up questions about program details and the share of funds used for salaries); DEI Community Outreach — maybe (clarify program content and whether services duplicate hospital/insurance processes); Rowlett High School PTA — no (councilmembers said the PTA’s application did not clearly describe programmatic uses for the requested $2,000); Children’s Advocacy Center for Rockwall County — maybe (the council asked how much of the center’s service population is Rowlett residents and whether other Rockwall jurisdictions fund the center).

City Manager David noted RCCC’s FY26 request was $100,000 (down from $150,000 last year) and that two late applicants had requested $2,000 (Rowlett High School PTA) and $6,160 (Children’s Advocacy Center for Rockwall County). Councilmembers repeatedly said they want applicants to show metrics — for example, beneficiaries served, sources of other funding, and administrative-cost splits — before awards are finalized.

What was decided

The council did not adopt or remove any awards at the work session. Instead it directed staff to invite representatives from Harvest Life Family Ministries, DEI Community Outreach, the Rowlett High School PTA, and the Children’s Advocacy Center for Rockwall County to present at a follow-up workshop on Aug. 18. The council indicated support to keep the RCCC funding in the budget and to maintain existing MOUs (for example, with Keep Rowlett Beautiful), but it did not finalize grant payments pending further information and review.

Quotes from the meeting

City Manager David, reading the grant policy: “The Rowlett Community Services Grant Program serves to provide funds to eligible nonprofit organizations through a competitive program to support services for Rowlett residents in their community. All applications will be considered; however, special consideration is given to agencies that offer Rowlett residents public safety and disaster relief assistance; basic needs and services for veterans and people with lower incomes; community beautification; assistance to the Rockwall county shelter; and business retention and expansion services.”

Unattributed but on the record: “I want to know for real what we’re getting for our money,” a councilmember said, pressing for quarterly metrics and post-award reporting.

Ending

Councilmembers agreed the grant program should remain under review and scheduled the invited applicants to appear at the Aug. 18 work session so the council can ask specific questions about scope, funding sources, and measurable outcomes before finalizing FY26 awards.