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Council advances Salisbury CDBG action plan after members press for measurable targets
Summary
The council voted 4–1 to submit Salisbury's FY2026 CDBG action plan to HUD, but council members urged clearer numeric targets, timelines and public reporting to track progress on street improvements and other priorities.
The Salisbury City Council voted 4–1 on May 11 to submit the city's FY2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) action plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, moving forward a plan that designates $367,754 in federal funds for the coming program year.
The grant administrator explained the proposed allocation: 20% ('$73,550) for general administration and $294,204 for street improvements and paving. "For FY 2026 program year, the amount of the CDBG funds to be received is $367,754," the grant administrator told the council.
Several council members said the plan reads like a list of goals without measurable objectives. One council member pressed for specific targets and named accountability: "There's a lot of goals, no objectives... Who, what, when, where, and who's responsible?" The council member asked for clearer timelines, unit goals for affordable housing, vacancy targets and a public-facing progress dashboard.
Grant administrators and staff said the city has multi-year commitments to ongoing projects such as Waterside Park and that HUD consultants recommended selecting projects that allow timely spending to clear open grants. The administrator said the recommended street-improvement projects would let the city draw down funds more quickly so long-running projects could be closed out.
Despite concerns, council members agreed to move the plan forward so the city could meet HUD's review schedule; the vote was 4 in favor and 1 opposed. Council members instructed staff to provide more detailed reporting and consider quarterly scorecards or dashboards to track progress and accountability.
The council also discussed geographic priorities: staff confirmed CDBG funds are restricted to qualifying census tracts and noted Church Street and Doverdale are included among the targeted areas. The grant administrator added some money will support Lake Street Park and that the Waterside Park project remains an ongoing, multi-year endeavor.
The action plan will be submitted to HUD for approval; council asked staff to return with more detailed implementation timelines and reporting mechanisms ahead of future disbursements.
The council is scheduled to revisit related budget items and implementation details at upcoming meetings.
