Caribou County approves $22,500 to help Center for Hope South cover staff wages

The Caribou County Board of Commissioners voted May 26 to provide $22,500 in total support to Center for Hope South to help cover half of a management salary the nonprofit said was at risk because of reduced federal grant funding.

Center for Hope South representatives described a funding shortfall that reduced available wages for staff. They requested $32,000 to cover half of a management position beginning Oct. 1; the organization said the remaining half of the position’s wages is being requested from Madison County. The county’s contribution will be the budgeted $7,500 plus a one-time supplemental payment of $15,000.

Commissioner Bryce Somsen moved to provide Center for Hope South the $7,500 already budgeted plus the one-time $15,000 supplemental payment for a total of $22,500; Commissioner Marty McCullough seconded the motion and the board approved the payment. The motion record in the transcript does not show individual roll-call votes or a tally; the clerk recorded that the motion passed.

County staff noted previous opioid-related distributions to the nonprofit: $14,000 in 2024, $8,600 in 2025, and $3,500 received so far in 2026. Center for Hope South told the board the additional money would cover paid time off, health benefits, 401(k) contributions and trainings for the covered staff member.

The board did not attach conditions to the payment at the time of approval. The next procedural steps are administrative: county finance will process the one-time disbursement and the nonprofit will report use of funds to county staff as part of normal grantee tracking.