The chair of the Local Share Account Committee, Jeff Kotula, says that, at the request of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, the Washington County Local Share Account Review Committee will convene virtually on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. to review the City Mission’s recent application to the Washington County Local Share Account program for a 50-bed Women’s Homeless Shelter. He says the committee will honor the commissioners’ recommendation to limit its review solely to the City Mission’s application. The public will be welcome to view the proceedings. The committee has also invited Diana Irey Vaughan, President & CEO of the City Mission, to attend the meeting and address the committee’s questions over the project’s readiness, availability of additional dollars to complete the shelter, and the alignment of the application with the county’s comprehensive plan. The committee has requested Ms. Irey Vaughan bring any necessary financial information or other documentation to support and clarify their application. Kotula says the LSA Review Committee reviewed 94 projects during this funding cycle and recommended 50 projects to the Washington County Board of Commissioners at a public meeting on February 6, 2024. Commissioners Sherman, Janis, and Maggi unanimously approved all 50 of the committee’s recommendations at their public meeting on February 15, 2024. The City Mission project was one of 44 projects not recommended by the committee nor approved by the commissioners at their respective public meetings. The commissioners have been disagreeing on the City Mission’s grant. Democratic Commissioner Larry Maggi said that the LSA Committee issued a list on January 30th, of recommended projects to be funded in 2024. Number 38 on the list was the homeless shelter with recommended funding of $500,000, but on February 6th, he says a new list was issued and the shelter project was removed. Maggi further stated that phone calls from the commissioner’s office were made to the LSA Committee indicating that the City Mission project be removed.