Jackson County commissioners on June 23 approved a budget amendment to increase a county-funded community support pool from $50,000 to $70,000 and adopted an allocation of awards to local nonprofit organizations and projects selected through an application process.

Why it matters: The commission created the application process to distribute county general-fund support to organizations providing countywide public benefits; the June allocations direct $70,000 in county funds to specified groups and projects and expand county financial support beyond the initial appropriation.

County staff told commissioners the commission set aside $50,000 in the general fund (001 account) earlier in the year and opened an application period that closed May 30. The county received 28 applications and, after a legal review, evaluated 22 eligible applications using a five-criteria scoring form: public-purpose alignment, county impact, feasibility and timeline, budget and financial need, and supporting documents.

The commission recommended and approved funding to the following recipients and purposes (amounts approved):
- Rosalie Rescue Squad: payoff on building wall — $10,000
- Jackson County public libraries (five branches): purchase of books — $2,500 per branch (total across county listed in packet)
- The Arc of Jackson County: purchase of a new bus — $14,000
- Skyline Heritage Association: one year of insurance — $2,000
- Dolly Parton Imagination Library: program support (books for children birth–age 5) — $10,000
- Price Services of North Alabama Corporation: general program support — $10,000
- Youth Advocate Programs: support for one year of fixed expenses — $10,000
- Discocibutan (construction of a handicap-accessible vault latrine): $5,000
- Bridgeport River Park (public campground and trail to support tourism): $45,000
- Jackson County Children’s Policy Council (Chapter 1 reading program): $1,500

The packet and staff summary show those allocations total $70,000. Commissioners moved to amend the general fund (001) budget to increase the available allocation by $20,000 to cover the recommended awards and then voted to approve the specific allocations as recommended by the evaluation process. Both motions passed without recorded opposition.

Discussion and criteria: Commissioners said they adopted an application and scoring process to ensure fairness and to allow other organizations to apply. Staff described the legal screening that removed six applications from consideration because the requests fell outside the county’s legal authority to fund. The approved awards were selected from the 22 legally eligible applications following the commission’s established scoring criteria.

Next steps: County staff will process the budget amendment, incorporate the awards into the general-fund accounting, and notify successful applicants. The packet indicates the awards are intended to serve activities with a public purpose that benefit the county as a whole.