Huachuca City holds public hearing on roughly $516,000 in anticipated CDBG funds

Huachuca City convened a public hearing on March 21, 2026 to collect community input on how to use anticipated FY2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) regional funds. William Osborne, presenting on behalf of the regional Council of Governments, told attendees that "the Town of Huachuca City is expected to receive approximately $516,000 in FY2026 of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds" and reviewed eligible activities and program requirements.

Osborne explained that CDBG funds can pay for public infrastructure (water, wastewater, street improvements), community facilities (parks, health clinics, senior or youth centers), housing (owner‑occupied or multi‑family rehabilitation), public services and certain economic development activities. He described three primary state streams: a regional account (allocated to SEAGO and rotated among member towns), a colonias set‑aside (competitive every two years), and state special projects (SSP), which can be used for planning and design to make projects shovel‑ready.

The presentation emphasized national objectives and eligibility: at least 51% of project beneficiaries must be low‑and‑moderate income (Osborne said about 55% of Huachuca City residents qualify by that measure), and programmatic caps limit public services and slum/blight activities to statutory maximums. SEAGO offered to prepare applications and provide technical assistance but cautioned that designs, environmental review and client lists (for housing rehab) must be completed before application to score competitively.

Mayor Johann R. Wallace and Town Manager Suzanne Harvey asked clarifying questions about whether nearby trailer parks qualify as colonias and about timing and contract extensions when supply chain delays occur. Osborne said SSP funds can be a useful tool to pay for engineering and design so future construction dollars are not consumed by planning work. He also reminded the council that the hearing will feed a list of candidate projects the council will later memorialize in a resolution and submit with SEAGO’s regional application.

Next steps: the Town will preserve the ideas voiced at the hearing in the minutes, compile a candidate project list for council resolution, and pursue planning funds (SSP or other grants) as appropriate to prepare projects for CDBG construction funding.