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Board asks for more analysis on Southern Arizona Rescue Association funding after federal grant reductions
Summary
The board continued discussion about short‑term county support for the Southern Arizona Rescue Association, asking administration to supply additional financial context after federal pass‑through grant awards were reduced; the item was continued for further review.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors debated whether to provide short‑term county funding to the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (SARA) after the organization reported a reduction in federal pass‑through grants. Supervisor Christie asked the county to identify a funding source to continue a contract that in recent years had been funded at $100,000 annually.
Administration said the item had been pulled from a prior draft agenda while staff reassessed grant awards; Deputy County Administrator Casmar explained that recent notifications reduced expected federal pass‑through awards and the administration wanted time to evaluate the broader set of pass‑through grants before placing the funding request back on the board’s agenda. Casmar said the timing issue and moving federal targets justified the pause.
Supervisor Cano and others asked for more detail about the contract history, what other organizations were affected by reduced OEM pass‑through funds, and how the board might consider expanding an emergency crisis fund category to include public‑safety nonprofits. Supervisor Cano moved to continue the item to give administration time to prepare a memo with grant history and options; the board approved the continuation. Several supervisors suggested drafting a letter to federal authorities expressing concern about impacts of reduced federal funding to regional nonprofits.
Why it matters: SARA provides volunteer search‑and‑rescue services that county officials described as important to rural and urban public safety. The board sought additional fiscal context before committing county general fund dollars or reallocating emergency crisis funds.
Next steps: Administration will prepare a memo clarifying the organization’s contract history, federal pass‑through award changes, and options for county support; board members expressed interest in considering the item again in early September or at the board’s next cycle of nonprofit funding reviews.
