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LaSalle finance committee debates municipal donation to food pantry, sends item back to agenda in two weeks
Summary
Members discussed whether taxpayer dollars should fund a local food pantry, debated several possible dollar amounts and legal limits, and agreed to place the request on the finance committee agenda in two weeks for formal action.
LaSalle Finance Committee members debated whether to use municipal funds for a local food pantry and agreed to put the request on the committee’s agenda in two weeks for formal consideration.
The discussion occurred during the committee’s consideration of old business. Alderman Herndon suggested providing a smaller, temporary donation to the food pantry “until we’re able to figure out the budget in May,” and other members proposed different figures during debate. Committee members also raised legal limits on using tax revenue for nonprofit donations and noted that the decision cannot be made without a full committee present.
Why it matters: Committee members said the donation would use taxpayer dollars and therefore must meet statutory limits that generally allow public funds to support nonprofits only when the benefit extends to a broad portion of the community. Committee members cited local food insecurity — noting that LaSalle schools qualify for free breakfast and lunch for all students — as a reason some members favored a donation. Others pushed for restraint, saying the city’s donation budget is limited.
Key details and debate: Members mentioned multiple dollar figures during the discussion. One speaker said the food pantry should receive $1,000 as an interim amount. Other figures referenced during the conversation included 15,000 (mentioned as an amount the pantry had asked for), 50,000 (described as funding tied to acquiring a building rather than operations), and a figure transcribed as “25,100” that members discussed as a possible starting donation; the transcript did not clarify whether those multi‑digit figures were meant as $2,500, $25,100 or another amount. Members also noted that some fundraising tied to an eventual building would be separate from operational support.
Several procedural items were handled at the same meeting. The committee approved the minutes from the Dec. 23 session by voice vote and approved a motion to allow Alderman Crane to attend electronically (voice vote). The committee also approved a nomination to serve as pro tem for the finance chair by roll call (motion by Alderman Herndon, second by Alderman Jepsen) and later adjourned the meeting by motion.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to appoint a pro tem for the finance committee (mover: Alderman Herndon; seconder: Alderman Jepsen): approved by roll call with individual "Aye" votes recorded for Aldermen Bassettar, Reynolds, LaViere, Jepsen and Herndon. - Motion to allow Alderman Crane to attend electronically: approved by voice vote; no roll-call tallies recorded. - Approval of minutes (Dec. 23): approved by voice vote. - Motion to adjourn: approved by voice vote.
Next steps: Committee members agreed to place the food‑pantry donation request on the finance committee agenda in two weeks for a formal vote when more members are present. The discussion did not produce a final appropriation or binding direction to release funds.
(Reporting note: dollar figures cited in meeting audio were transcribed inconsistently; the committee did not adopt a final dollar amount during the session.)
