COVID-19 aid grants stripped

Commissioners vote to claw back $4.1M

Lorain County commissioners voted Jan. 13 to rescind more than $4.1 million in funding for Lorain County community organizations and service agencies.

Commissioners Michelle Hung and David Moore said the move to rescind the funding was pursued because in their view, it was inappropriate to use general fund money for the appropriations and characterized the previous board as using the grants for political purposes.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation in regards to what’s been going on in regards to after Nov. 3,” Moore said. “The money we are rescinding today — and they are not CARES Act funds — this is money we are rescinding, that was general fund dollars that

was slated for operation of county services.

“The public and these agencies have been misinformed and used as political pawns to embarrass the current Board of Commissioners.”

Moore said that the decision was not personal, but as the elected budgetary authority for Lorain County, they are tasked with ensuring it operates efficiently and effectively within the statute they serve and stated grant recipients had been misinformed by the previous board.

“If you’re upset, I understand, because I am upset about this,” he said. “This general fund money is used for the county to operate; we are not the Community Foundation of Lorain County.”

Hung, in agreement with Moore, said the previous board did not understand how CARES Act funding worked and lambasted them for their decisions to approve the grants in the first place and stated the move to rescind was cleared with the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.

“The two outgoing commissioners (Lori Kokoski, Sharon Sweda) chose to hand out $4 million from the county’s general fund to the organizations stated in this resolution,” Hung said. “It is very unfortunate that while they were smiling and laughing from the comfort of their home, promising these wonderful organizations this assistance.

“The previous board, with the two outgoing commissioners, were writing checks that they knew they would not be able to sign. And that is why this is a very, very sad day for all of us up here.”

Organizations react

Organizations around Lorain County reacted swiftly as news of the decision trickled out.

Second Food Bank of North Central Ohio was set to receive $235,838 in two separate grants from resolutions passed Dec. 16 and Dec. 30.

Throughout the pandemic, Second Harvest has been on the front lines of the novel coronavirus pandemic in holding regular mobile food distributions to help the food insecure.

Second Harvest President and CEO Julie Chase-Morefield reacted with disappointment.

“As an organization, we are disappointed in the decision to rescind the grants,” Chase-Morefield said. “Second Harvest and our network of 56 food panties and 29 hot meal programs in the county have served 116,000 unduplicated people seeking emergency food assistance in Lorain County in 2020, nearly 38 percent of the entire population of the county.

“The need for food assistance will remain high throughout 2021 as families work to regain stability.”

Sister Mary Berigan, executive director of Blessing House in Lorain, expressed similar sentiments in a statement to The Morning Journal.

“The funds rescinded today were not just for the nonprofits; no one was padding their bank account or redecorating their offices,” Berigan said. “Those funds were intended to meet the needs of the people of Lorain County.

“Each of these nonprofits is a piece of the puzzle to serve local families.”

Blessing House was set to receive $150,000 following a resolution passed Nov. 25 that the commissioners rescinded.

The organization provides support services for children and families in crisis.

The funds taken from Blessing House and organizations around Lorain County will leave a gap for vulnerable populations, Berigan said.

Lorain County people lost out following the vote to rescind the grant funding, she said.

“The funds taken back are the means to provide food for families, to keep children and families from living in their cars,” Berigan said. “It was meant to feed seniors and provide safety to victims of abuse; our veterans will lack support.

“Sometimes, these agencies are the last piece of the puzzle to help move a family forward. When you remove the last piece of the puzzle, it can never be made whole. Families that are struggling are now losing the support they so desperately need.”

The Lorain County Free Clinic was set to receive $150,000.

The organization provides free medical services to underserved communities and executive director Paul Baumgartner echoed his concerns.

“As a long standing organization in the community, we are disappointed in the decision by the Lorain County commissioners to rescind the grant funding,” Baumgartner said. “In 2020, the Lorain County Free Clinic provided 4,480 patient medical encounters, all with the help of professional medical volunteer providers from four hospital systems.”

In 2020, the Free Clinic lost $65,000 in revenues just from cancelled fundraising opportunities, he said.

Providing compassionate care with its volunteer medical team, the Free Clinic assists many of the most vulnerable, Baumgartner said.

“Providing access to medical care will remain steady, and a priority in 2021 as the uninsured/underserved work to maintain wellness, stability and manage many conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma in such an extraordinary time,” he said.

Lundy dissents

Commissioner Matt Lundy, a member of the previous board, voted against the decision to rescind the funding.

Lundy said it was a sad day for Lorain County with the board going back on their commitments to these organizations.

“People called me yesterday evening in tears,” he said. “They are very upset, they definitely need these dollars.”

He told the board the funds were important in helping Lorain County weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If you have a difference of opinion with what was done, or the previous board, don’t punish these families, these children, these seniors, these veterans,” Lundy said. “Take it out on me, but don’t harm these folks; don’t punish these folks.

“They’re really struggling. They need a lot of help right now. And it’s important that these dollars get to these organizations so that we can get through this pandemic.”

Lundy unsuccessfully proposed an amendment to the resolution on the floor to appropriate the funding that died due to lack of a second.

He also pushed back on the assertion the previous board was improperly applying CARES Act funding, stressing the grants were approved in consultation with the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.

Lundy asserted much of the funding received directly was given to safety forces, freeing up money in the general fund to make the grants to service organizations.

“I understand you want to bring about change, and in you want to pave a new course in a new direction, you’re certainly entitled to that,” he said. “But, I think what’s important is that a commitment was made by this board.

“And, I believe that this board should honor that commitment. That’s the honorable thing to do.”

Speaking after the meeting, Lundy said the decision represented a troubling pattern of Hung and Moore seeking to undo actions taken by the previous board.

He called their actions as one of the worst things that could happen during a pandemic.

“We’re supposed to be working to take care of people, we’re not supposed to be grandstanding for political purposes,” Lundy said. “And, I’m very disappointed because I think this was done, because they simply want to undo, whatever has been done by the previous administration, and that’s what we’re seeing today.”