Lockhart council hears presentations from eight nonprofits; funding decisions deferred
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Summary
Lockhart City Council heard presentations from eight nonprofits seeking fiscal-year 2025–26 city funding but postponed final allocations. Councilors signaled they would exclude one applicant, requested more financial detail on one large request and asked staff to return with a recommended funding package.
Lockhart City Council heard short presentations from eight local nonprofit organizations seeking city contributions for fiscal year 2025–26 but did not vote on funding Wednesday, instead directing staff to return at a later meeting with additional analysis and a recommended funding package.
City finance staff said the packet included eight requests totaling $89,000. Representatives from Caldwell County Food Bank, the Children’s Caravan (mobile pediatric clinic), Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Combined Community Action Meals on Wheels, Golden Age Home Assisted Living, Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center, Lockhart Area Senior Activity Center and Take Me Home (animal transport nonprofit) each gave brief summaries of services and how city funds would be used.
Council members praised the range of services but deferred a final decision so they could review the requests and receive additional information. Councilors agreed to exclude Golden Age Home from this year’s city funding package, saying the assisted-living operator’s primary model—private-pay residents in a nonprofit facility—was different from the social-service providers the city has funded historically. Council also asked staff to gather more financial detail on Take Me Home’s request before the city makes a final allocation, after hearing the group describe transport costs and an ask of $25,000.
Several organizations described growing demand: Caldwell County Food Bank said it served 23,815 food baskets in 2024 and had already exceeded prior monthly records in 2025; the Children’s Caravan said it serves roughly 1,700–1,800 children annually in the county and is building an endowment to stabilize operations; Combined Community Action Meals on Wheels said federal funding shortfalls forced it to reduce client intake and the local Lockhart program had a waiting list of about 10 people.
Specific requests mentioned on the record included Meals on Wheels asking for $8,000 and Take Me Home asking for $25,000; the Lockhart Area Senior Activity Center requested $4,000. Several presenters did not state a dollar amount on the record; staff said the packet contains the full request list (page 6). Finance director Keeley reminded the council that funding allocations typically occur at the city’s first July meeting.
Council discussion focused on consistency and purpose for the city funding program, distinguishing direct social services (meals, emergency shelter, food distribution, children’s medical access) from private-pay long-term housing. Multiple councilors said they preferred to use city contributions for organizations that directly deliver countywide social services and for programs that cannot reliably obtain other funding. Several council members also asked staff for historical funding amounts and for a clearer estimate of the city’s likely award prior to formal action.
The council did not take a final vote on any awards at this meeting. Staff said they would return with additional financial details (notably for Take Me Home) and a proposed funding package for council action at an upcoming meeting.
