Commissioners should help county agencies

Lorain County community organizations and service agencies that help struggling residents should appeal to the Lorain County commissioners to restore $4.1 million in grants the commissioners rescinded.

On Jan. 13, the commissioners voted 2-1 to rescind the funds to the groups saying the organizations never should have received the monies in the first place.

Commissioners Michelle Hung and Dave Moore voted in favor of taking back the funds. Commissioner Matt Lundy voted no.

Taking away money from groups that help the vulnerable doesn’t look good.

What makes this a head scratcher is that the county has the funds to distribute to the groups.

Lundy and the previous commission board — consisting of Lori Kokoski and Sharon Sweda — consulted with the state Auditor’s Office, Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office and the county’s finance department on whether the commissioners could award the funds.

But, let’s take a step back. Lorain County received $7 million last year from the federal government through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and some of those funds were used to support the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office and safety upgrades for the Lorain County Justice Center with Plexiglas barriers.

So, there were funds left over and the commissioners decided to award $4 million in grants to Lorain County agencies that help those in the community who are struggling.

Moore and Hung said the grants technically were made with general fund money, and they are justified in rescinding the resolutions allocating this money to nonprofit organizations.

They argued it was an inappropriate use of general fund dollars.

Moore made it clear Jan. 13 that the monies rescinded are not CARES Act funds, but were general fund dollars for operation of county services.

He added that the public and these agencies were misinformed and used as political pawns to embarrass the current Board of Commissioners.

Claiming their decision was not personal, Moore said that he and Hung, as the elected budgetary authority for Lorain County, are tasked with ensuring the government operates efficiently and effectively within the statute they serve.

Moore says he’s upset about having to rescind the millions of dollars and that he understands why the agencies are too.

But, general fund money, he says, is used for the county to operate.

Moore pointed out the county is not the Community Foundation of Lorain County, which cultivates a culture of philanthropy, awards grants and grows assets to financially help the community.

No, the county is not a community foundation, Mr. Moore, but the commissioners can show they are concerned about the community by not taking away the funds.

Hung agreed with Moore that 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.

She also stated the move to rescind the funds was cleared with the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.

As one would expect, leaders of the agencies are not happy.

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

Second Harvest President and CEO Julie Chase-Morefield is disappointed because Second Harvest and its network of 56 food panties and 29 hot meal programs served 116,000 unduplicated people seeking emergency food assistance in Lorain County in 2020.

And Sister Mary Berigan, executive director of Blessing House in Lorain, said the funds rescinded were not just for the nonprofits, and that no one was padding their bank accounts or redecorating their offices with the money.

Blessing House, which provides support services for children and families in crisis, was to receive $150,000 following a resolution passed Nov. 25.

The Lorain County Free Clinic, which offers free medical services to underserved communities, was to receive $150,000.

Free Clinic Executive Director Paul Baumgartner said that in 2020, his agency provided 4,480 patient medical encounters, all with the help of professional medical volunteer providers from four local hospital systems.

Lundy pleaded with Moore and Hung not to punish the families, children, seniors and veterans in Lorain County by rescinding the funds.

The commissioners didn’t listen to Lundy.

Hopefully, they will listen to the agencies and restore the grants.