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Riley County weighs applying for second round of Home-in-the-Heartland relocation grant
Summary
County staff described results from the first round of the Make My Move program and the mechanics of a possible second application opening July 1, but commissioners asked for detailed budget scenarios and funding sources before deciding whether to apply.
Amanda Webb, Riley County planning director, told commissioners on June 29 that the state will open a second grant window for the Home in the Heartland (Make My Move) program on July 1 and asked whether the county wants to apply for additional funding.
"The state is going to open another round of home and the heartland grant funding on July 1st," Webb said, and reminded the board that the county would need to provide a 20% match if it requests the program maximum. Webb said Riley County received about $187,000 in the previous round and that the state allows a maximum request of $250,000.
Ben, a representative of Make My Move, briefed the board on early results: the county has relocated 12 households to date, including two home purchases, and those initial moves have produced what he described as measurable local tax and economic benefits. "Those just 12... are providing about $256,000 of new annualized state and local... local taxes," he said, noting the state's 80/20 funding split.
Britney Phillips, budget and finance officer, cautioned commissioners that the county had to front some expenses and be reimbursed later. "We pay a lot of that upfront," Phillips said, explaining that the county had paid vendor invoices ahead of state reimbursement and had used the county's economic-development fund to cover the local share this year.
Several commissioners expressed concern about committing scarce local dollars to recruit out‑of‑state movers while cutting local services. One commissioner said they were reluctant to "pay outsiders" when local needs were being reduced. Commissioners asked staff to return with written budget scenarios showing how different request sizes (for example, seeking funds to support 20, 50 or 100 homes) would affect the county's budget and where the 20% match would come from.
No formal decision to apply was made at the meeting. Staff said they would bring cost scenarios and funding-source options back to the board for consideration before submitting any application.
What happens next: County staff will prepare budget scenarios and a recommended funding source for any local match; the board can then decide whether to submit an application during the state's open window.
