Elkhart County approves $300,000 in landfill funds for three nonprofits amid public questions about transparency

The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners on June 2 approved transferring $300,000 from the landfill operating fund and appropriating $300,000 from the special projects fund to provide $100,000 each to the Center for Community Justice, the Council on Aging and CAPS.

County Administrator Jeff Taylor described the two items as linked: one transfer from the landfill operating fund into “other grants and awards,” and the appropriation to distribute the funds to the three organizations. A commissioner moved to approve the two items together; another commissioner seconded and the motion carried unanimously among members present.

The vote authorized the transfer and the subsequent appropriation for the three nonprofits. The commissioners did not identify a specific ordinance or statute during the discussion; the action was recorded as an additional appropriation and transfer on the meeting agenda.

Why it matters: residents questioned the recurring use of landfill proceeds for nonprofit grants and asked for more financial clarity. Pam Kaiser of Middlebury reviewed a multi‑year record she said covered 2019–2024 and said the amounts paid to CAPS had varied, including a figure she cited as $55,000 in earlier years and larger totals in later years. Kaiser said she would follow up by email to seek more detail and asked, “Where is our money going?”

Cindy Hajicek of Goshen also spoke during public comment and said, “Giving profits from the landfill to a not for profit tax exempt entity is not the role of government.” Hajicek said such grants can obscure fees and reduce accountability, and said she wants the grants ended.

The commissioners approved the transfer and appropriation despite the public concerns; the record shows the motion carried unanimously among commissioners present (one commissioner, Barnes, was noted as absent at the start of the meeting).

What was in the record: meeting materials listed the items as “letter c” (additional appropriation request for $300,000 from the special projects fund to pay $100,000 each to Center for Community Justice, Council on Aging and CAPS) and “letter d” (request approval of $300,000 transit funds from the landfill operating fund to other grants and awards). Jeff Taylor said the two items were being taken together because they are the transfer and the appropriation for the same funds.

Next steps and context: Kaiser said she will follow up with the commissioners by email seeking documentation of past payments and explanations for line‑item classifications she described (for example, “service fees” and pass‑throughs). Commissioner Rogers was referenced by a public commenter as having met with a resident about grants; no commissioner-provided policy change or further staff directive on the grant program was recorded during the meeting.

The appropriation joined a slate of other routine motions the board approved that morning, including road and building appropriations, contract approvals and out‑of‑state travel authorizations.