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Commissioners question $5,000 earmark to Dirty Pecan, approve small nonprofit grants and discuss bolstering 4‑H funding
Summary
County staff will audit a $5,000 line item currently routed through a general category that appears to benefit a Dirty Pecan endowment; commissioners approved three $2,000 small-grant awards and discussed moving recurring 4‑H support into the extension office budget for clearer oversight.
Jefferson County commissioners asked staff to trace a $5,000 payment that appears to be routed through a general budget category but ultimately paid to an outside donor-backed endowment.
County manager staff identified the line item during a budget review of the extension office and said the money was marked to '4' in the general ledger but is apparently paid to an organization referred to in meeting materials and testimony as Dirty Pecan. The manager told the board he will 'do a deep dive' to determine who authorized the earmark and whether the payments complied with the county's accounting and policy rules.
Dr. Camille Lewis, the county extension director, told the board Dirty Pecan has been "a longtime supporter of Jefferson County 4. They have donated an extensive amount of money over the past 10 years to Jefferson County 4 and we are extremely grateful to partner with them." She said part of recent fundraising created an endowment at the University of Florida intended to fund local 4‑H programming and camp scholarships, and she described local returns such as low-cost summer camp seats and travel scholarships. She said the exact totals for this year's fundraiser were "not specified" as the office was still reconciling payments.
Commissioners pressed staff to show how the $5,000 has been recorded and whether the county should instead place recurring support for 4‑H directly in the extension office budget rather than routing it through a general grants pool. One commissioner argued that a line item in the extension budget would improve oversight and make local impacts clearer if the board chooses to continue funding the program.
Separately, the board moved and approved awards under a small-grants program (total pool $15,000, maximum $2,000 per award). Three organizations that presented at the meeting were approved for $2,000 each; the board directed staff to follow up on documentation from other applicants before disbursing remaining funds. Staff noted the program requires written end‑of‑year reports from recipients showing how funds were used.
The board did not finalize the disposition of the $5,000 earmark at the meeting; the manager will return with the accounting history and a recommendation for how that support should be reflected in the budget.
