Should every Kodiak nonprofit get the same grant? One assembly member says yes

As the Kodiak Island Borough decides how to split limited money among nonprofits this year, one assembly member is pushing an unusual idea: give every applicant in a category the exact same amount, to take favoritism out of the equation.

At Thursday's work session, the member laid out a plan setting a flat $16,000 for each health-and-safety applicant — down from the roughly $25,000 apiece the borough has paid in past years — and $3,500 for each smaller request. "Keeping the amounts the same and trying to avoid the appearance of bias is a crucial thing that we should do," he said. His total ran $5,000 over budget.

Other members preferred the borough manager's version, which sets varying amounts based on each group's request rather than a uniform figure, and most seemed to favor it. The Assembly votes Aug. 6, where members can still amend the numbers.

The concrete stake is the Humane Society of Kodiak, which the draft leaves at zero. Two board members asked the Assembly not to drop it: the grant funds coupons that cut the cost of spaying and neutering pets for residents outside city limits, including the villages. President Linda Lance said a $5,000 grant sterilized 22 pets this year and 35 the year before. "Veterinary care is expensive in Kodiak," she said. One member has proposed trimming the health-and-safety awards slightly to free up $3,500 for the shelter — though another noted it already receives $75,000 from the borough through separate animal-control funding.