PIMA COUNTY -- The Pima County Board of Supervisors on June 18 voted to extend a helping hand to 91 community groups whose missions compliment or supplement County services. The Board voted unanimously to approve $3,941,082 in Outside Agency (OA) funding for the 2019-20 Fiscal Year.
The bulk of that total, $2,415,345, went to the County's Outside Agency Program, which, as part of the Department of Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation (CDNC), assists underserved and economically disadvantaged populations and communities under the guidance of a six-member review committee. The panel tapped 65 programs to receive OA funds based on the members’ assessment of community needs in five service categories.
- Community Services - $364,940
- Emergency Food and Clothing - $765,300
- Senior Support Services - $174,000
- Support Services, Shelter and Domestic Violence - $395,600
- Youth, Young Adult and Family Support - $715,500
“Pima County is fortunate to have elected officials who make it a priority to support local agencies that benefit the whole community,” said Interim CDNC Director Daniel Tylutki. “The Outside Agency Program makes people's lives better. Last year, our non-profit partners helped upwards of 350,000 people with everything from food, clothing and shelter to reading programs and transportation, even expert advice on completing their tax forms."
In addition to the programs recommended by the committee, supervisors also approved $972,641 for 19 General Services programs and another $553,096 to underwrite operations of nine special request initiatives that benefit other County departments. Top grants in those areas went toward environmental cleanup efforts in El Rio neighborhood and regional planning efforts at the Pima Association of Governments which received $163,200 and $298,000 respectively.
Also on June 18, the Board of Supervisors decided to postpone voting on the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget in order to consider proposals to reduce the overall cost to county taxpayers when factoring in increases in assessed property values, and the possible effect such changes could have on a plan to more fully implement a Pay-As-You-Go capital improvement plan in fiscal year 2021.
The board will take up the budget discussion again at its July 2 meeting. Though the fiscal year ends June 30, state law allows for the county to continue under the existing budget until early August. The items continued for the main county primary property tax, and the secondary taxes for the Library and Flood Control Districts, and for debt service.
The board did vote unanimously to approve the tax levies for about two dozen improvement districts in the County and the Rocking K Facilities District.