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Business owner urges pause and audit of MOVE/Lift/Edge economic grants
Summary
A Fremont County resident called on commissioners to pause awards from county-linked economic development programs and conduct a review of past grant awards, citing limited transparency and unclear return for taxpayers.
A Fremont County business owner asked the county commission on the record to pause awards from local economic-development programs and to audit prior MOVE, Lift, Edge and DuBois grant awards.
Chris Rodkey, owner of Wind River Glass and a Fremont County resident, told commissioners he found it difficult to see whether awarded funds produced measurable benefits for taxpayers and recommended a temporary halt while a review is completed. “I suggest that we pause all awards immediately at move, lift, edge, and at the Du Bois, economic development committee,” Rodkey said during the public-comment period.
Rodkey said he studied award files and applications and found inconsistency in what awards funded and how recipients reported results. He called for a public review of the awards, clearer reporting requirements, and a centralized way for residents to track outcomes and “ROI” for county-funded projects.
The testimony singled out several award types and applicants discussed by the county’s grant panels. Commissioners and staff described the county’s existing rules—awards must be used for the purposes stated in an application and are not intended to repay prior debt—and said some committees have tightened language in recent rounds to limit double-dipping across jurisdictions.
The discussion included the Countryside Veterinary application, for which county committee members recommended a $180,000 award divided into roughly $100,000 for a mobile-clinic vehicle and $80,000 for equipment and inventory. Rodkey and commissioners noted the group originally sought a larger total (reported in the application as $250,000) that included items described as repayment of prior debt; staff advised the committees that grant funds should be used for new purchases rather than paying existing obligations.
County commissioners said they are considering procedural changes and additional oversight. At the meeting they signaled they would hold off on further disbursements from some awards until spring and discussed hiring outside help to review compliance and documentation for awarded projects.
The County did not take a formal vote to rescind any awards at the meeting. Commissioners said they will continue reviewing committee procedures and consider contracting for accounting or audit services to verify that awarded funds are spent as described in agreements.
