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Kent County adopts fund to distribute cannabis sales tax revenue, delegates process to local board
Summary
The Kent County commissioners passed an ordinance establishing a Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission special revenue fund to accept cannabis sales–tax–derived grants and delegated administration to the county’s Local Management Board, enabling access to roughly $500,000 already allocated to the county.
Kent County commissioners voted Wednesday to adopt Code Home Rule Bill 2-2025, creating a Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission special revenue fund to receive and distribute portions of cannabis sales tax revenue.
County staff said the fund is required by state law to accept and distribute money from the Cannabis Reform Act. Shelley Gerber, county staff, told commissioners the county already “has actually close to $500,000,” and that the legislation sets a process to solicit grants and award funds.
Under the adopted ordinance, the board delegated the administrative and recommendation duties to the county’s existing Local Management Board (LMB). Gerber said the LMB will “come up with a plan and a process for distribution” and will make funding recommendations back to the commissioners. Staff recommended approval, noting that without the local law the county cannot distribute the state-directed funds.
Commissioners voted to pass the bill on third reading after staff recapped options: adopt as written, amend the ordinance, or reject it. Gerber told the board an alternate structure — for example, using a different advisory body — would be permissible if it complies with the state’s parameters, but staff favored using the LMB because it already exists and has experience administering grants.
The ordinance establishes local procedures that the county must follow to receive and disburse the Community Reinvestment and Repair special revenue funds. County staff said the first distributions would follow grant solicitations and the LMB’s recommendation to the board.
The board scheduled no further local action in this meeting on the fund; the ordinance was adopted on the third reading and will be implemented under the county’s grant-administration processes.
