Of the $100,000 Allen County commissioners voted as seed money for the Allen County Community Foundation, half has been transferred; the second half is due this month.
At Tuesday morning’s meeting, Jim Talkington, in his first meeting since being elected in November, said he wasn’t in favor of making the second $50,000 contribution, which would be endowed in foundation coffers for perpetuity.
“I hope we’re not obligated,” Talkington said.
County Counselor Alan Weber, also involved with the foundation, said he was reluctant to rule on Talkington’s comment, saying only that “you (the commissioners) have vast authority.”
Gary McIntosh and Rob Francis, then commissioners, vote in October 2011 to take $100,000 from the landfill environmental fund to support and grow the foundation, noting it and other money raised would be important to attracting grants. Dick Works, who has fussed about sending county money to the foundation, was on vacation when the vote was taken.
Works said Tuesday that “we always had had a gentlemen’s agreement that we wouldn’t take major votes until we were all present,” and there “was no urgency to take the vote” with him gone.
The money was deemed available after commissioners learned that they could pledge the county’s tax base for landfill closure funds rather thansquirrel away $100,000 to $150,000 in each year’s budget. The county also has about $1 million in it landfill fund, revenue from daily tipping fees.
What will occur with the county money is interest on it will be made available for grants to deal with local environmental issues. Commissioners will make recommendations.
Works noted little money would be coming back to the county in the immediate future. Interest today is less than 1 percent. On $50,000, 1 percent raises $500.
Tom Williams, third commissioner and also new to the body, didn’t embrace wholeheartedly having county money support the foundation.
An attitude that became more prominent with Weber’s observation that if the county were to refuse the second $50,000, the decision would not have adverse effect on equipment funding for the new county hospital.
Williams said he wasn’t eager to use government money in place of what could be raised privately.
Before any further discussions about the pending $50,000 transfer to the foundation due this month, Works said he would like to hear a presentation from the county foundation justifying the expense.
Weber summed up his consideration in that “I hope the foundation grows into something very productive for the county.”
Commissioners waver on foundation support
