According to City Administrator Stephanie Ellwein, several of the nonprofits that asked for subsidies saw significant growth in their cash fund balances in recent years.
“I pay county taxes, therefore, I’m paying for services at this institution to the county. I shouldn’t be paying for them through the city as well,” Council member Steve Rice said of Dakota Counseling's subsidy request.
As of now, the proposed budget includes $38.7 million in capital improvement projects, which entails the construction of a new groundwater storage tank, a handful of major improvements to the wastewater treatment plant and Lake Mitchell watershed improvements, to name a few of the more costly projects.
While the council agreed to increase the subsidy funds for a majority of the nonprofits that submitted applications to the city, it's unclear what Dakota Counseling Institute will receive from the city.