Board approves $105,000 in community partner grants for FY25–26; supervisors adjust several awards

The La Paz County Board of Supervisors approved the FY2025–26 Community Partners Funding Program on Aug. 18, authorizing $105,000 to community organizations after a review by a three-person committee and additional supervisory adjustments.

Why it matters: the county’s one-time community-partner pool is modest compared with requests; applicants requested roughly $230,575 this year, county staff said, so the adopted allocations did not fully fund many applicants.

What the board approved: supervisors approved a slate of awards that differed in several cases from the review committee’s recommendations. Examples included an award of $15,000 to the Bouse Chamber of Commerce (request $17,975), $8,000 to the La Paz County Fair (request $20,000), $25,000 to La Paz Economic Development (full request), $9,500 to McMullen Valley Chamber (request $12,000), $15,000 to Parker Chamber of Commerce (request $25,000), $15,000 to Quartzsite Chamber (reduced from $64,700 request), $4,800 to Quartzsite Food Bank (full request), and $5,000 to the Quartzsite Improvement Association (request $6,000). The county staff presentation listed the committee’s recommended amounts and the supervisors’ adjusted amounts; the board adopted the supervisors’ package.

Discussion and conditions: Supervisor Minor and others asked that organizations receiving less than their requested amount submit an amended scope of work or budget so the county and public can track what will be delivered for the funded amount. Supervisors also discussed whether fair-book advertising should be handled through this program or through a separate county appropriation; they agreed to consider that as a separate decision. Supervisors expressed interest in increasing the pool next year given improving county finances.

Vote and outcome: the board made and seconded a motion to approve the program and accepted the supervisors’ adjusted award amounts. The motion passed by voice vote.

Ending: board members said they hoped to revisit the size of the Community Partners pool in next year’s budget process and asked staff to require amended scopes where awards do not match original requests so distribution and outcomes remain transparent.