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Commissioners vote to hold $85,000 scheduled for Port Authority pending work session and governance assurances
Summary
Leavenworth County commissioners instructed staff to withhold the county's $85,000 disbursement to the Port Authority until a work session on relationships with the LCDC and until the county secures an executive committee seat requirement for future funding.
Leavenworth County commissioners voted to delay distribution of an $85,000 county allocation to the Port Authority after commissioners said they want a work session and stronger governance assurances before providing further funds to the Leavenworth County Development Corporation (LCDC).
Commissioners discussed a recent newspaper article and public concerns about how money routed through the Port Authority supports the LCDC. County staff confirmed the requested $85,000 for 2025 had been received and, absent direction from the Board of County Commissioners, would be disbursed under current policy. Commissioners said they were concerned that, because money flows from county coffers through the Port Authority, the county is effectively the primary funder of the LCDC and should have greater oversight when the county comprises a large share of an outside agency's budget.
A commissioner suggested postponing additional funding until a joint work session with the Port Authority and the LCDC and asked that future funding be contingent on the county having a designated representative on the LCDC executive committee. A motion to hold the distribution until the requested work session and governance assurances passed on a motion and second; a roll call recorded unanimous aye votes.
County staff and commissioners also noted the Port Authority itself holds reserves (staff cited approximately $750,000) and that the funds in question are routed to the Port Authority rather than paid directly to the LCDC. Staff explained the county's policy for outside agencies requires certain stipulations for funding, including local banking, nonprofit status, provision of audits where required, and board representation when county funding exceeds a threshold.
Why it matters: the decision affects how the county directs taxpayer funds for economic development and clarifies the county's expectations for oversight when county support represents a significant portion of an organization's operating budget.
Meeting action: the board made and seconded a motion to withhold the $85,000 scheduled to be distributed to the Port Authority pending a work session and assurances on executive committee representation for the county. The motion passed with unanimous aye votes recorded during roll call.
Next steps: commissioners directed staff to schedule a work session with the Port Authority and LCDC, and elements of the county's funding policy will be used in that review. Several commissioners said they want to draft a policy requiring designation of a county representative on the executive committee of outside agencies that receive substantial county funding.
