Hamilton County Council approves interlocal agreement with community foundation despite lone objection

The Hamilton County Council approved an interlocal agreement with the Hamilton County Community Foundation Incorporated following a short discussion and at least one recorded objection.

Council members moved and seconded approval of the agreement during the meeting’s business items. A council member objected on procedural fairness grounds, saying the foundation “is the one not for profit that’s not being required to go through the same process that we make 50 other not for profits go through. And in my opinion, that’s not fair, so I’ll be a no.” The motion nevertheless passed after the vote was called.

The objection focused on parity in vetting and funding processes for nonprofits that seek county support. Another council member replied that the arrangement was similar to earlier county support for start-up nonprofits, saying, “this is no different than how we funded the Pursuit Institute. We gave an infusion of cash to get it started until it could stand on its own.”

Meeting records show the council discussed the expectation that the foundation would pursue 501(c)(3) status and work toward independent funding before returning to the council in the future. The transcript indicates the agreement term discussed was three years, and council members said the foundation would be expected to pursue sustainability and follow-up review on the council docket.

No ordinance number, statute, or formal funding breakdown was specified on the record during the discussion. The council moved on to other agenda items after the vote.