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Councilor urges clearer language so discretionary funds can target underserved groups
Summary
Councilor Penelroch asked staff to revise language in the draft financial policy that defines council discretionary funds as requiring a 'city purpose' open to all, arguing it could prevent targeted funding for underserved populations; staff agreed to return alternatives tied to council goals.
During discussion of the draft Financial Management Policy, Councilor Penelroch raised concerns that the draft definition of "council discretionary funds" could unintentionally prevent the council from directing funds to specific underserved groups.
Penelroch said the policy's phrasing that discretionary funds "must be used for a city purpose" and that a city purpose is "an activity or service that is open to all members of the public" risked excluding projects that by design target older adults or historically disadvantaged residents. "I just don't want it to, maybe take us off some of our actual goals," Penelroch said, and asked that the language be removed or revised.
City Manager Alex Campbell acknowledged the concern and told the council staff would propose one or two alternative phrasings to align discretionary-fund uses with council goals and to make the intent clearer. "We could certainly make something that's more inclusive of the various ways that the council might want to use these dollars," Campbell said.
Why it matters: discretionary funds are a portion of the budget that council members can allocate. Wording in policy documents can limit or enable targeted spending; councilors said they want language that protects against self-dealing while allowing intentional support for underserved populations.
What happens next: staff will return revised language for council review as part of the Financial Management Policy update and the budget process.
