Bill to Give More Money to Non-Profits Fails

This year the Metro Government took a different approach to giving money to select non-profits that augment city services, instead of letting Metro Council members donate tax dollars to organizations in their districts.

The Mayor’s office granted 2-million dollars to three categories of agencies–domestic violence, education and community services. A panel of judges scored applicants and awarded the money. But things didn’t happen that way in the domestic violence section. Several organizations who had high scores didn’t receive money because the panel decided it wanted to focus on some specific areas.

That brought the Council to debate a bill last night that would have given an extra 60-thousand dollars to the four losing non-profits. Councilman Michael Craddock says the Council shouldn’t be giving any more money to non-profits after having to cut bus service during the budget cycle.

“You know all these people need to stop this whining about taxpayer money. That’s what this is. This is pork. That’s all it is.”

The Mayor’s office has said they’ll have uniform criteria across groups next year.

In other business, a bill failed that would have given Council the final say when the city wanted to use its eminent domain power. The bill arose out of a dispute on Music Row, where landowner Joy Ford is suing the city over its attempt to take her land and use it for a private development. The area in question is in a redevelopment district where the city does have the power to confiscate property.