Council approves $503,500 in GPET awards after heated public comment and failed amendment

The Sheridan City Council voted March 16 to approve the mayor’s recommendations for GPET allocations totaling $503,500 to 20 nonprofit organizations.

Councilmember (voice S6) moved to accept the GPET annual application summary as presented; the motion was seconded (voice S13) and carried by voice vote after discussion. Earlier in the meeting, Councilmember (voice S4) proposed an amendment to increase Addie's Horsemanship’s award from the recommended $10,000 to $15,000, saying the $15,000 would serve as seed money and could leverage roughly $75,000 in matching grants. The amendment failed on what the transcript records as an even split in responses and was therefore not adopted, leaving the original $10,000 award intact.

Public comment featured both support and opposition to using GPET funds for nonprofits. Harry Pollock (voice S14) urged fiscal restraint and argued that GPET money should prioritize core city services rather than grants to nonprofits, calling the practice “forced charity” and warning it could erode voter support when the tax is renewed. In contrast, Art McCullough (voice S15) detailed services provided by Compass Center for Families — including CASA, supervised visitation and parent-liaison programs — and urged the council to fund organizations that fill community needs.

Council members debated legal authority and policy. One councilor (voice S10) noted that legal review and case law support the city’s ability to contract with nonprofits for services; another (voice S6) said the city is obligated to spend GPET proceeds as the voters approved the tax. Several council members urged continued oversight and suggested site visits and follow-up reporting to ensure funded programs use the money as intended.

The approved recommendation list included awards ranging from $4,000 to $80,000 for organizations such as the Senior Citizens Council, Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns, Downtown Sheridan Association, Compass Center for Families and others. The council’s recommended total matched $503,500.

Next steps: the council approved the annual GPET application summary as presented; specific contracting, reporting and disbursement details will be handled by city staff as part of the implementation process.