Commissioners clarify $25,000 matching proposal for Bledsoe Lake historical fundraising

Mr. Mansfield asked commissioners to add agenda item 26-04-17, which would authorize up to $25,000 to Bledsoe Lake historical to match donations.

"I would like to add resolution to under legislative, for term limits, on your desk..." Mr. Mansfield said earlier when raising separate agenda changes, and later asked about the Bledsoe Lake match item, saying he was confused why it appeared again on the agenda.

The county mayor explained the choice to route donations through a nonprofit so donors could receive tax deductions while the county would match donations up to $25,000. "Bledsoe is running all of the accounting for this project...it would be better that the citizens make the donations to the organization and then we would match that," the mayor said.

Commissioners also confirmed the $25,000 match does not relate to the monument discussed previously; the mayor and staff said the match is over and above any monument cost.

What’s next: The matching approach was clarified on the record; commissioners confirmed the item was properly noticed in the packet and described how matching contributions would be handled by the nonprofit and tracked by the county.