Eight Dallas County-based groups presented their annual funding requests to the Dallas County Board of Supervisors over the last two weeks. The supervisors will decide on funding levels as they develop the fiscal year 2019 budget between now and March.
The funding requests and the FY2018 grants are summarized in the following table:
| GROUP | FY 19 | FY 18 | ||
| Dallas County Development Alliance | 250,000 | 166,200 | ||
| Dallas County Fair Board | 45,000 | 45,000 | ||
| Dallas County Historical Society | 750 | 0 | ||
| Dallas County Library Association | 140,000 | 140,000 | ||
| Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund | 7,800 | 7,800 | ||
| Discover Dallas County Tourism | 600 | 600 | ||
| Home Care Services | 185,000 | 160,000 | ||
| New Opportunities | 10,500 | 10,500 |
The funding “asks” ranged from providers of services to low-income residents of Dallas County — represented by HomeCare Services Inc. of Dallas County, New Opportunities Dallas County Family Development Center and the Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund — to cultural and entertainment groups — the Dallas County fair Board, Dallas County Library Association, Discover Dallas County Tourism and Dallas County Historical Society — to an economic development alliance of local governments and businesses, the Greater Dallas County Development Alliance (GDCDA).
After briefly describing for the supervisors their successes in 2017, most groups asked for the same level of funding for next year. HomeCare Services Inc. requested a $25,000 increase in funding as it struggles with ongoing disruptions caused by Iowa’s Medicaid Privatization.
Dallas County Conservation Board Historical and Cultural Resources Coordinator Pete Malmberg requested a $750 travel subvention for the Dallas County Historical Society.
The GDCDA has received annual funding of $150,000 in each the prior two years, with an additional $16,200 in fiscal year 2018 to support their sponsorship at the Solheim Cup, a biennial golf tournament for professional women golfers from Europe and the U.S., held last year at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club.
The GDCDA asked for a 66 percent funding increase for fiscal year 2019, a $100,000 bump that would bring their level of county support to $250,000.
