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Commissioners authorize negotiation of $250,000 food-bank grant amid funding-process questions
Summary
The court authorized the county judge to negotiate a $250,000 grant agreement with the San Antonio Food Bank to fund direct food assistance; commissioners debated whether the award should have gone through the planned $1 million NOFA process.
The court directed the county judge to negotiate a grant agreement with the San Antonio Food Bank for $250,000 to provide direct food assistance to Bexar County residents. Mario Bledo (S25), speaking for the Food Bank, said the organization serves 29 counties and stated that "for every $1 we receive, that equals 7 meals."
Commissioners expressed support for the Food Bank’s emergency response but raised procedural concerns about removing $250,000 from the previously announced $1,000,000 outside-agency Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Commissioner Moody and others said the Food Bank’s role in disaster response justified immediate action; Commissioner Moody asked staff whether the $250,000 would be drawn from the NOFA allocation, and budget staff confirmed the amount would be taken from the previously approved $1 million contingent outside-agency pool if the court approved the item. Commissioner Clay Flores registered concern about process and the precedent of pulling individual awards from the NOFA; he voted in favor but said he wanted the county to report back on backfilling the NOFA pool.
The court passed the motion to authorize negotiation of the agreement and flagged follow-up items for staff to ensure timely execution and oversight. The Food Bank representatives described operational details for distribution, partner pantry fees (about 15¢ per pound for some inventory), and the organization’s capacity to provide needs assessment and benefits-navigation support for clients.
