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Orange City council removes $1,000 in-kind cap for three longstanding nonprofits
Summary
The City of Orange City voted unanimously to remove a $1,000 cap on in-kind sponsorships for three long-term nonprofit partners — the Manatee Festival, the cirrhosis club, and Everybody Is Somebody — after staff presented that in-kind costs are absorbed by department budgets and nonprofits urged restoration of support.
The City of Orange City council voted unanimously to amend its sponsorship policy to remove a $1,000 cap on in-kind services for three long-standing nonprofit partners, saying the change recognizes long-term community partnerships and the economic and public-safety benefits those events create.
Council member Lisa Stafford moved to remove the cap for the Manatee Festival, the cirrhosis club and Everybody Is Somebody for the current year and going forward; Council member Tomsen seconded the motion. A roll-call vote recorded five yes votes and the amendment passed.
City Manager Christine Davis told the council staff recommended removing the cap in recognition of organizations that provide services the city would otherwise have to fund, noting the city had secured nearly $4 million in grants and continues to absorb certain event costs in departmental budgets. Staff explained that when the city provides in-kind services (for example police, fire or parks coverage), those labor and permit costs are accounted for inside existing department budgets rather than as a separate line-item expenditure.
Multiple nonprofit representatives and volunteers urged the council to restore the in-kind arrangement. Christina Bertrand (identified in the meeting as the president of the Orange City cirrhosis club) said the organizations are self‑funding 501(c)(3)s that use event revenues to support scholarships, cadet programs and community needs and that charging them for services would reduce those community benefits. Emily Curtis, associated with the Manatee Festival, said fees collected are returned to community programs and not kept as profit.
Council members asked about fiscal impacts and past practice. One council member recounted that the city previously budgeted annual monetary contributions (figures discussed included $2,500–$5,000 lines historically), while staff and speakers described a shift to in-kind support in recent years. Staff clarified the proposed removal of the cap would not require a budget amendment because the in-kind costs are currently absorbed by existing departmental allocations.
The motion and roll-call vote: mover Lisa Stafford; seconded by Council member Tomsen; roll-call — D'Armes (yes), Tomsen (yes), Stafford (yes), Richardson (yes), Vice Mayor Grimm (yes). Outcome: approved.
The council did not set a new dollar cap during the meeting. Staff and council members discussed continuing oversight and the potential to return with more formal written policy language or budget reporting if requested.
The amendment takes effect for the current year and will apply going forward unless the council revisits the policy in a future meeting.
