Board to advise on social service funding

City commissioners unanimously agreed to create a new Social Service Funding Advisory Board.

The new city-appointed board will make recommendations on which Lawrence social service agencies should receive city funding in the future.

The city allocates about

$1 million a year to social service agencies through various property and sales tax funds. The new seven-member board would review funding applications and make recommendations to the City Commission as part of its budget process.

The new board — which hasn’t yet had its members appointed — will not review Community Development Block Grant funding requests. Those requests will continue to be reviewed by the Community Development Advisory Committee.