Organizer asks Monongalia County for $1,500 to fund Juneteenth cookout; commissioners point to application process

An organizer for the Upper Mananga Junth celebration asked the Monongalia County Commission April 15 for $1,500 to help host a Juneteenth cookout in the courthouse square on June 6.

"We've done these before... we're only asking for like 1,500," said John Kim Shabbaz L., who identified himself as an organizer and listed local sponsors. He said a speaker from Pittsburgh will attend and that the funds would cover a speaker fee and food and supplies.

Commissioners suspended the rules so they could speak with the presenter and advised him to submit a reservation for the courthouse square and to complete the county's grant application. Staff said there is usually no fee to reserve the square but that out-of-cycle budget requests are unusual. One commissioner said staff would check whether any out-of-cycle funding could be entertained and that the matter would be discussed during an upcoming staff report.

The presenter said he had provided a letter but would add the requested amount on the record; he said $500 would go to a speaker fee and the remainder to food and supplies.

The commission did not make any funding commitment at the April 15 meeting; it directed the presenter to complete the reservation and grant application processes so staff can evaluate the request.