Hollister council members Monday talked about donating $100,000 to local nonprofit organizations and setting up criteria to guide the process of where the money goes.
Council members discussed the item at Monday’s special meeting, but did not take action. They appeared willing to explore the idea of donating $100,000 to select nonprofit groups after several years without such charity using taxpayer dollars. The city maintains a general fund budget of about $18 million but had sustained multimillion-dollar deficits during the recession when council members put the nonprofit donations on hold. It is also propped up by $4 million-plus in annual revenue from a special 1 percent sales tax expiring in 2018.
Council members Monday discussed establishing a subcommittee—comprised of Councilmen Karson Klauer and Ray Friend—to bring back recommendations on donations with the $100,000.
“It feels good,” Friend said about the notion of reviving the city’s nonprofit donations.
Friend also, though, said he supported public speaker Marty Richman’s idea to put the donations on hold for a year so the city could partner with the county on a donation program.
Various nonprofit groups were represented at the meeting. One of them was the League of United Latin American Citizens whose President Cesar Flores argued in favor of funds toward the group’s youth reading program.
“In doing this and reaching out for these youth, we’re also reaching out to the parents,” Flores said.
Mayor Ignacio Velazquez stressed the importance of ensuring the groups that receive the donations are using the money productively. He said the city should set structured goals for each group that receives money so it can measure success.
“I think sometimes, we can become complacent with dollars,” Velazquez said.
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