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Hamilton Spectator
07-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
County of Brant awards $350,000 in community grants
County of Brant Council received a report detailing the results of the 2025 Community Grant Program during their regular Council meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. The Community Grants program is a key funding tool that helps support a variety of non-profit and charitable organizations within the County to deliver vital services and amenities to the community. While Council used to choose which organizations received the funding, in an effort to streamline the process, the decision was made in 2023 to enter into a partnership agreement with the Brant Community Foundation (BCF) to deliver the grants. According to a report submitted to Council, grants were available under three categories: operational (up to $5,000), events (up to $5,000) and capital projects (up to $10,000), though organizations were permitted to apply for more than one type of grant. This year, the BCF received 109 grant applications with funding requests amounting to a total of $631,831. Given that a number of applications were considered late, incomplete, or otherwise ineligible for funding, only 75 grants totaling $350,000 will be issued come the week of June 16. During the meeting, Councillor David Miller expressed his concerns in regards to those organizations who typically rely on such funding, but were not able to make it through to the adjudication process. 'In the report it says, 'there were a number of organizations that typically receive community grants from the County that were deemed ineligible because of incomplete application materials,' I know one of them was Burford Minor Hockey and I don't think they're going to be happy.' Noting that many of the organizations are run by volunteers and in some cases, roles are often switched around, he asked staff if such organizations would have time to re-submit their applications and try again. 'Council was very clear when we went through this last fall, that we were not accepting any applications that were missing documents,' responded Heather Boyd, General Manager of Corporate Services. '…The instructions themselves were very clear that certain paperwork was required to be submitted as part of the process. …The awards are done now.' Councillors John Peirce, Steve Howes, Jennifer Kyle and Brian Coleman said that while they understood Miller's point of view and were sympathetic to the situation, the whole point of entering into the partnership with BCF was to take the politics out of the awards. 'I remember going back five years or so, the crazy, reverse auction process that we had where we all sat around this table trying to figure out who's worthy and who's not, and it was painful,' said Howes. 'We made the decision that we were going to take an arm's length approach to this after we determined how much money we were going to make available for these groups, and I think we have to stand by the process.' Councillor Lukas Oakley later pointed out that, as stated in the report, the County will be utilizing an on-line application portal through the BCF in 2026. 'One of the key improvements on that will be, in order to proceed to the next stage of the application, you have to provide the information requested,' he said. 'That should help clear up, at least in theory, some of these applications that were submitted and deemed incomplete because you won't be able to submit unless it is complete, or you're submitting supporting documents.' Councillor Robert Chambers then added that he would like to also have the application criteria reviewed at some point given that some of the organizations who are set to receive grants this year, appeared to be more Brantford centric. 'Some of the organizations I've never even heard of before,' he said. 'Some of the organizations are, in my mind, more City of Brantford centric than County of Brant. …I think we need to review, first of all, the criteria, and the amounts, at some point.' While there may be organizations who may not be satisfied with the outcomes, BCF staff will be the first point of contact to discuss award outcomes, and will be working on enhanced educational materials to support applicants down the line. Kimberly De Jong's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
National Popular Vote system bill enters Pa. House
Harrisburg, Pa. — Five times in U.S. history, the winner of the electoral college received fewer total votes than their opponents during presidential elections. The National Popular Vote movement was launched as pushback against these events and seeks to enforce the "one person, one vote" principle of American democracy. On April 9, Rep. Chris Rabb was joined by Rep. Heather Boyd to reintroduce a bill that, if passed, would move Pennsylvania to a popular vote system. If accepted, this would make Pennsylvania the 18th state to join the movement, which also includes the District of Columbia. 'Every voter of every party should have an equal voice in presidential elections,' said Rep. Rabb, of Philadelphia, the bill's author. 'This is the fundamental principle that our democracy builds on — that every vote counts equally. Not that some votes count more than others. It is time for Pa. to join other states in ensuring that every vote counts equally.' If enacted, HB 270 would add Pa. to the coalition of states in agreement that the winner of the most individual votes should become the U.S. president. The system would only take effect if states with 270 electoral votes have joined. Currently, the National Popular Vote coalition represents 209 electoral votes, and Pennsylvania could add an additional 19.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania looks to move to ‘National Popular Vote' over electoral college vote
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Two Pennsylvania Representatives have introduced a bill that would elect a presidential candidate based on popular vote instead of electoral college votes. The bill, authored by Reps. Christopher Rabb and Heather Boyd, argue that there is a fundamental contradiction between the 'one-person, one-vote' principle in American democracy and the electoral college. This contradiction lies in the fact that twice in recent presidential elections, five times in U.S. history total, the winner of the electoral college received fewer total votes than their opponent. 'Every voter, of every party, should have an equal voice in presidential elections,' Rabb said. 'This is the fundamental principle that our democracy builds on – that every vote counts equally. Not that some votes count more than others. It is time for PA to join other states in ensuring that every vote counts equally.' The bill would move Pennsylvania to a 'popular vote system,' joining 17 other states and the District of Columbia in the National Popular Vote movement. The Representatives argue that Pennsylvania voters should feel as though they play a meaningful role by electing the president by National Popular Vote. If passed, the legislation would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who wins the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and would take effect when states with 270 electoral votes have passed the bill. The National Popular Vote bill has a total of 209 electoral, with Pennsylvania offering 19. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposed bill would move Pennsylvania to a popular vote system
(WHTM) — Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced a bill to the Pennsylvania House that would move the state to a popular vote system. State Representatives Christopher Rabb (D-200) and Heather Boyd (D-163) reintroduced House Bill 270, which would have Pennsylvania join 17 other states and the District of Columbia in having a popular vote system. According to the PA House Democratic Caucus, the bill aims to have Pennsylvania join other states in guaranteeing the presidency to the candidate who wins the most popular votes in all 50 states. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Every voter of every party should have an equal voice in presidential elections,' said Rep. Rabb, the bill's author. 'This is the fundamental principle that our democracy builds on – that every vote counts equally. Not that some votes count more than others. It is time for PA to join other states in ensuring that every vote counts equally.' The Caucus argues that having the popular vote system is the best way to guarantee Pennsylvania plays an important role in every election. According to the memo, this agreement would only take effect when states possessing a majority of electoral votes (270) adopt the same agreement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
