Council approves $25,000 IGRA grant for Bar Foundation amid questions about pro bono capacity

Council considered and approved a one-time $25,000 grant from the Delaware County Interactive Gaming Revenue Authority to the Delaware County Bar Foundation to support pro bono services and underserved-community development.

One council member said the grant had been withdrawn at their request earlier but returned for consideration; another council member expressed skepticism that the local Bar Association has been an active pro bono provider, noting an inability to find the group's annual Form 990 filings online and saying the organization's website had not been updated since 2022. "I have attempted to find out what the Bar Association is currently doing. I haven't been able to find a Form 990...nor has their website been updated since 2022," the council member said, arguing for careful oversight of grant compliance and impact measurement.

Proponents said outreach to recruit volunteer lawyers and measured publicization of available services could be part of the program, and some council members said they were prepared to support the grant with conditions for follow-up. The motion passed; one council member recorded a 'nay' in the vote.