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County councilors debate use of contingency funds to support Food Bank of Delaware and local nonprofits
Summary
New Castle County council members debated three resolutions to allocate contingency funds to local nonprofits — Food Bank of Delaware, Good Neighbors Home Repair and Charity Crossing Inc. — with supporters citing urgent need and opponents warning of precedent and lack of transparent allocation criteria.
Council members discussed three separate resolutions on June 10 that would use New Castle County’s council contingency fund to make direct grants to local nonprofits.
Councilwoman Durham introduced Resolution 25-103, a request to allocate $25,000 from the County Council Contingency Fund to the Food Bank of Delaware, saying she moved the measure after federal food assistance was reduced and the Food Bank told council it lost roughly $1.1 million in federal support. “Food is a pretty basic need for all of our constituents,” Durham said.
Supporters, including Councilman Kevin Kaneko, said the Food Bank stepped up during the pandemic and still distributes millions of pounds of food to county residents. “They were there in our time of need. And now the Food Bank of Delaware is in a time of need,” Kaneko said, noting local distribution and partnerships with many county agencies.
Opponents warned that using the contingency fund in this way lacks a fair, competitive process and risks setting a precedent. Councilman…
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