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Commissioners spar over cutting $500,000 from Hayti Reborn to fund schools
Summary
Several commissioners objected to a proposed $500,000 reduction for Hayti Reborn Justice Movement and urged clearer metrics and fundraising expectations for nonprofit grantees; supporters said recommended funding preserves core services and the proposed cut would not eliminate programming.
Durham County commissioners debated whether $500,000 should be reallocated from Hayti Reborn Justice Movement (HRJM) to help fund a $2.57M addition for Durham Public Schools. The request surfaced during the ad/delete discussion, when staff said Hayti had requested $500,000 for operations and $1,000,000 for program expansion.
One commissioner said cutting HRJM to help cover schools “troubles” them and urged that nonprofit recipients be held to clear performance and sustainability metrics — including a proposed requirement that HRJM raise $250,000 the following year to demonstrate fundraising capacity. “I just wanna go on the record saying I'm troubled by that,” the commissioner said. Other commissioners said the manager’s recommended $1,000,000 would be sufficient to meet the group’s immediate needs and that the smaller $500,000 increase was an extra ask.
Several commissioners called for a broader county–city examination of how nonprofit funding decisions are made, asking for consistent evaluation rubrics and stronger coordination with the city. Commissioner Burton said the county should develop clear metrics and support nonprofits’ capacity building rather than make ad-hoc cuts.
