Board members say procurement and funding are lawful; rainy day fund pays $39,500

In response to questions about no-bid procurement and fund sources, a board member said he had checked with the examiners of public accounts' legal counsel and that a nonprofit is exempt from no-bid restrictions. The same speaker said the foundation's rainy day fund totals about $2.5 million and that the $39,500 contract is a small fraction of that balance.

Supporters of the contract emphasized the polling firm is an experienced external vendor and that the board had directed the contractor to provide demographic breakdowns and draft graphs for interpretation. Board leadership also said they expect the contract deliverable quickly and that a second survey is slated for September 2027 under the motion's terms.