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Leesburg council debates role in nonprofit funding; some favor county-led approach
Summary
Councilors discussed whether Leesburg should establish an annual funding mechanism for nonprofits. Several members said the county already funds many nonprofits and favored continuing occasional one-off support rather than an annual program.
Councilors reviewed a council-initiated discussion about whether Leesburg should create a formal annual funding mechanism for nonprofit organizations.
Vice Mayor Simono Johnson said the town has discussed supporting nonprofits in recent years and asked staff whether a proposal had been prepared; staff said none had been brought forward for this meeting. The town manager reminded council that years ago the council largely stepped back from regular nonprofit funding because countywide services often exceed Leesburg’s municipal boundaries and because of past financial constraints.
Councilmember Steinberg urged caution about creating an annual grants program. “The county is in a much better position to handle the magnitude of the requests for these various nonprofits, a number of which don't necessarily serve Leesburg,” Steinberg said. He said Leesburg has continued to provide occasional, one-off support in limited circumstances.
Several councilors agreed they could continue handling rare, case-by-case requests rather than establishing an annual program that would require staff time and resources to administer. Staff said the current practice does not preclude the council from providing funding on a case-by-case basis but that an annual program would be a separate policy decision requiring a proposal and staff resources.
No formal motion or allocation was made during the meeting.
