There are several entities that receive funding yearly from the Escambia Board of County Commissioners.
These are vetted, legitimate groups that have track records of serving the community. They are our community partners
Several specialize in serving the community's youth.
So, naturally, as we worked through the budget this year with staff, in meetings, and in sessions on the fourth floor--it became clear that several of these organizations are natural, no brainer funding opportunities for the children's trust.
So at our recent workshops, the board intimated that these groups, the ones who focus on youth, should first seek funding from the newly established, and soon to be flush with cash Escambia Children's Trust. (Their initial millage rate of .5 mills will generate $12 Million Dollars--a full $2 Million over initial projections....)
Some entities vocalized the concern that any attempt by the BCC to not fund such entities and instead foist them on the Children's trust would be tantamount to "supplanting" funding which would be frowned upon if not outright disallowed.
The attorney for the board quickly dispatched that notion with an email recently, where she stated.
"My determination was that the language in the ordinance (which was not drafted by us) would address mandatory funding or obligatory funding obligations. It would not, in my opinion, address discretionary funding that the Board considers every year and which the Board is not obligated to provide in any particular amount or at all. I understand the executive director of the Trust has indicated that she has concerns about this, but the attorney for the Trust does not appear to have provided an opinion to the Trust about it yet."
Meanwhile---several of the organizations we sent over to the trust have received this response:
"Good morning. We have received the Community Partner
applications for consideration for funding by the Escambia Children’s Trust.
However, while these are worthy projects, I’m afraid we cannot consider them at
this point – not because we do not think they fit our funding goals, but
because we do not have a mechanism in place yet for consideration of
unsolicited proposals.
Our Board is still refining our grantmaking process. Our formal needs assessment will not be ready until at least next month, and our priorities for funding have not yet been established, let alone approved by our Board. We simply have no process in place to make an immediate decision on the applications you forwarded, as they were not in response to a Trust application or request for proposals.
If possible, please let your applicants know that their proposals likely will not be considered for funding by the Trust at this time. We cannot review unsolicited proposals until the Trust Board of
