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Council debates whether to fund Community Justice Center, Film Partnership amid county/state shortfalls
Summary
Council discussed unsolicited FY27 funding requests: the Community Justice Center sought $100,000 (recurring asked) while the Film Partnership asked for $100,000; staff outlined options including lease support, routing to competitive grants, or using council contingency funds and said formal RFP details will be available in about six weeks.
Council spent extended time deliberating two unsolicited funding requests brought back from the budget work session: one from the Community Justice Center (CJC) and one from the Film Partnership of North Carolina. City staff outlined options including directing each organization to apply to the revamped human‑services or economic development grant programs, creating a lease agreement to account for in‑kind space the city uses, or using council contingency funds for one-time support if the council so chose.
Ben David, CEO of the Community Justice Center (speaker 6), told council the CJC was created from a $5 million grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment and that the center now houses collocated justice and nonprofit partners in approximately 15,000 square feet near the courthouse. David said New Hanover County had committed $300,000 for FY27 and asked the city to provide a pro‑rata share or the equivalent of a lease contribution; he said the CJC's operating budget and lease total roughly $400,000 and that the county and state had contributed toward the center's sustainability. "If you want that work to continue, the grant for New Hanover Community Endowment runs out December 31... I'm respectfully asking for you to say that tonight as well," David said.
Representatives of the Film Partnership (speaker 28) said the organization has previously received city ARPA funds and reported job and internship placement numbers; they requested $100,000 for workforce and film‑industry support and said county and other partners had provided funds. Several council members said they would prefer the organizations use the formal grant processes for transparency and comparability, or submit written proposals with budgets and measurable outcomes. Staff said the city would have updated RFP details in about six weeks and that council could direct staff on whether to pursue a budget amendment, lease agreement or require formal applications through the grant process.
No final appropriation was made that night; council's direction was to gather additional data and to return with proposals and staff recommendations.
