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Commissioners set procedure for nonprofit funding, defer Scotland County Arts Center request and approve $1,500 for Crime Stoppers
Summary
The board asked the Scotland County Arts Center to coordinate with the library and present a contract detailing services and metrics; the board approved a $1,500 appropriation for Crime Stoppers from this fiscal year if the sheriff cannot cover the amount.
At its June 26 meeting the Scotland County Board of Commissioners reviewed two prior funding requests from local nonprofits and agreed on a process for future requests, while approving a limited one-time allocation for Crime Stoppers.
Storytelling/Scotland County Arts Center Commissioners revisited a prior request from the Scotland County Arts Center (referred to in the record as a storytelling program request for $8,000). Commissioners said county funds must support services tied to a county duty or mission and that, where county support is provided to nonprofits, the county needs a written agreement or contract spelling out deliverables and accountability.
Commissioner (O'Neil) and others recommended the Arts Center work with the county library director (referred to in the transcript as Miss Malek) to define services the nonprofit would perform that directly support the library’s mission. Commissioners suggested the Arts Center should provide a written plan, a budget and performance metrics; if the library director endorses the arrangement, the county would consider including funds in the library budget or make a budget amendment. No appropriation was made at the June 26 meeting.
Crime Stoppers (Scribe/Prime Stoppers) Commissioners discussed a $1,500 request to fund anonymous tips and related operations (the program was discussed as Crime Stoppers/Scribe Stoppers/Prime Stoppers in the transcript). Sheriff’s office representatives described the program’s regional structure: a local coordinator and a regional board manage tip payouts and operations, while law‑enforcement investigators receive leads generated by tips.
Several commissioners said they saw clear public‑safety value in the program and urged a structured approach for future nonprofit requests. The board verbally agreed to provide $1,500 from this fiscal year’s budget if the sheriff could not fund the amount from his departmental budget. A motion to provide the $1,500 from this year’s budget passed by voice vote; the meeting transcript records an affirmative voice vote and no recorded nay.
Why it matters: commissioners signaled stricter rules for using county funds for nonprofits — monies should support a county mission and include measurable deliverables — while approving a small, immediate public-safety expenditure for Crime Stoppers.
Next steps - Arts Center (Saks) to meet with the library director (Miss Malek) to craft a contract specifying services, outcomes and budget, then return to the board with a proposal. Staff will draft a procedure/policy for handling nonprofit funding requests to present at a future meeting. - Sheriff’s office and Crime Stoppers to be reimbursed or funded per the motion if departmental funds are insufficient; the sheriff indicated the program saves investigative time by delivering leads.
Provenance: the discussion of storytelling funding begins when the board introduced the prior funding requests and ends with direction to coordinate with the library director; the Crime Stoppers discussion and the passed funding motion are recorded later in the same item.
