by 

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Leaders of Prevail, PrimeLife and a half-dozen other non-profit community service organizations can breathe a bit easier today as the County Commissioners on Tuesday approved grants of $427,000 for next year.

The funding, designed to supplement the costs of operations, was held up last month when commissioners and the County Council disagreed to amounts of the grants and in two cases the council’s refusal to appropriate any funds.

But, on Tuesday, commissioners agreed to the funding as the council had approved. The two organizations being left out by council action are the Salvation Army at $42,550 which was requested and recommended by commissioners, and Conner Prairie, $15,000.

Two other groups will get less than recommended. They are Trinity Free Clinic at $15,000, rather than $25,000, and Chaucie’s Place at $25,000, instead of the $30,000 requested.

Winners in the resolution of the dispute were Meals on Wheels which will get $10,000, which was not originally requesting any funds, and the Hope Family Clinic, getting $10,000, instead of only $5,000 that had been requested.  PrimeLife and Prevail will get $240,000 and $180,000, respectively.

Commissioners in their regular meeting apparently decided to avoid a further dispute with the council. The money being given to the public service agencies has become an annual distribution given out in the belief that the organizations provide the public with assistance that local government might otherwise have to entirely undertake.

Commissioners and councilmembers had earlier agreed on contractual service agreements with Cherish Center, Good Samaritan, the County Humane Society and Janus’ Hamilton County Express.