Elkhart CDBG budget passes, council will look into alternative funding for cut programs
ELKHART, Ind. --After several months of back and forth, the city council passed the 2017 CDBG budget Monday night.
This comes after some controversial revisions with program cuts that several council members didn’t approve of. But, the council was under some pressure to make a decision before the submission deadline of August 16th.
It was an easier decision after they found out the budget plan could be altered down the line to redistribute the funds.
The process of changing the budget plan would include a public hearing. The council also requested to be a part of that process, which was written into the ordinance.
Several council members insisted they also look into alternative ways to help fund the Council On Aging in case they aren’t able to find the funds in the CDBG budget. The non-profit was one of five programs cut this year.
They have received $10,000 every year for nearly a decade to fund their transportation service in the city, providing over 400 free trips to seniors who need a way to get to the doctors or to the grocery store.
“We will find resources from other areas and we’ve also had a couple people step up to give us a little bit of money. We still need these funds. We’re still working with the mayor, with the city, all those things are positive but we’re not going to discontinue anything because of this mishap,” says Council On Aging CEO David Toney.