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County deliberates one-time grants for local nonprofits, considers channeling funds through EDC
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a set of one-time and potential ongoing requests — including a $20,000 HSE financial empowerment ask, an $18,000 Salvation Army Choice Pantry request, solvency funding options for 'Solve', and a community health worker request for Heartland Community Health — with mixed support and calls for clearer strategy and coordination through the county EDC.
During the July 14 budget session, Douglas County commissioners reviewed multiple small nonprofit and program requests and debated whether to fund them as one-time grants or to coordinate through the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
Staff said the HSE Financial Empowerment Program had been interpreted differently across commissioner worksheets; the chair said her takeaway from the prior day was that commissioners had "majority, if not, a unanimous support for that $20,000." Commissioners agreed to include the program as a one-time $20,000 allocation in the spreadsheet for the proposed budget.
The Baldwin City Chamber request generated debate over county precedent for funding chambers and whether small community needs might be better addressed via the EDC. Commissioners discussed $10,000 one-time proposals and the idea of creating an EDC-administered pot (for example, $20,000) that chambers could access for smaller community initiatives.
Two commissioners signaled support for a one-time $18,000 request to fund the Salvation Army Choice Pantry, citing rising food-security needs. Commissioners also weighed a solvency funding request for the nonprofit "Solve," with one commissioner trimming the request to $75,000 as a one-time allocation but others expressing concern about repeating solvency assistance year after year.
On health staffing, two commissioners supported funding an additional community health worker at Heartland Community Health (a federally qualified health center) and suggested the position might be appropriately budgeted from the behavioral health fund; other commissioners urged a broader strategy for community health worker deployment rather than funding a single position.
Several items were moved, some were marked for follow-up, and staff confirmed the changes would be reflected in the live spreadsheet; commissioners asked for additional conversations about EDC coordination, grant matches, and clearer guidelines for solvency funding.
