WM Council splits on funds for local nonprofits

WM Council splits on funds for local nonprofits

Good Neighbor Center, Delta Action Council to share Southland funds evenly

news@theeveningtimes.com

A motion by one West Memphis city councilman led to a change in the way Disaster Relief funds collected from Southland Gaming & Racing were divided this go-around.

City council has the authority to allot the funds, but parted with past precedent and sliced the quarterly funds differently for two local charity causes following a surprise move on the council floor during the board’s Aug. 17 meeting.

It all started with the traditional introduction to city council in a pre-meeting work session from Mayor Bill Johnson without discussion. But once on the floor Councilman Marco McClendon moved for a unique split.

“The dispersal of the disaster relief funds is $15,432,” said Johnson. “I believe you normally split it 60-40 between the Good Neighbor Love Center and the Delta Neighborhood Action Council. We need to make a division on the disaster relief fund.”

“Mayor, I move we split it 50-50 between the Delta Action and the Good Neighbor Center,” said Mc-Clendon.

Councilor Ramona Taylor was quick to second the motion.

“There was conversation about one being sixty, one being forty,” said McClendon. “We didn’t know which one, so.”

Had Councilor Tracy Catt been asked he could have delineated the traditional designation. Catt, who volunteers with the Good Neighbor Center, chimed in.

“The Good neighborhood Center normally gets the 60 percent,” said Catt.

“Why can’t we just give them 50-50?” asked Councilor Helen Harris.

A roll call vote settled the matter in the even split.

Voting “nay” were councilors Tracy Catt, James Holt, and Wayne Croom.

Affirming the even split were councilors James Pulliaum, Ramona Taylor, Helen Harris, Marco Mc-Clendon, and Willis Mondy.

Councilor Robinson with ties to the Delta Neighborhood Action Center was absent and Mayor Johnson cast his decisive vote to make the required super majority vote giving each organization $7,716.

Both organizations represent good causes. The Good Neighbor Love Center took national spot light for the disaster response during the tornado and flooding in the disasters that struck West Memphis 30 years ago, becoming the official relief hub for storm victims, and has served citizens, especially those with hunger needs, ever since.

Community action agencies like the Action Council were born from the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act to fight poverty by empowering the poor as part of the President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty and provides utility assistance and meets other emergency needs for qualified recipients.

By John Rech