Sherman County Community Development reports $1M-plus in 2025 grants, asks county for $30,000 to cover 2026 shortfall

The chair of Sherman County Community Development presented the organization's 2025 annual report to the county commission, saying SCCD helped bring in roughly $1,000,000 in grants and loans for local businesses and reported strong activity in tourism and downtown improvements.

The SCCD chair summarized program work across three core areas — economic development, business enrichment and travel/tourism — and recounted specific small-business expansion assistance and local events the organization supported. “Burt was able to bring in over $1,000,000 worth of grants and loans to support these small businesses in 2025,” the SCCD chair said.

SCCD reported a combined operating budget of $140,000 supported by city and county contributions and said a Kansas Commerce analysis showed a claimed 719% return on that investment for 2025. The chair clarified the local funding split in the meeting handout: the city contributes about $90,000 and the county about $50,000 of the $140,000 total.

Budget request: SCCD asked the board to consider an additional $30,000 to cover a 2026 shortfall and discussed a longer-range plan to add a Main Street director in 2027, which would require new ongoing local funding (the chair estimated additional local contributions could be in the $100,000–$120,000 range once staffing and program needs are finalized). Commissioners and SCCD staff agreed to continue quarterly updates.

Why it matters: SCCD’s work touches business recruitment, downtown revitalization and tourism; the county’s choice about additional funding would increase SCCD’s capacity and unlock potential state or federal grants tied to Main Street membership.

Next steps: SCCD will return with follow-up material and the commission indicated they would consider the $30,000 request during budget planning.