Naperville vote on social service grants awards turns heated

A Naperville City Council vote to approve grants to social service agencies turned heated last week, with some council members calling objections to one recommended grant political.

Each year, Naperville council members vote on awarding $500,000 in social service grants to various not-for-profit agencies.

Typically, the vote has gone off without much debate. On Tuesday, however, the vote turned to a heated discussion after Councilwoman Jennifer Bruzan Taylor suggested lowering the recommended award to the Career & Networking Center, citing concerns about the appearance of impropriety.

The Career & Networking Center applied for a $25,000 grant, but after scoring by each of the eight council members, its recommended final award was $1,750. Taylor suggested lowering the amount to $500 to “cure the appearance of impropriety,” noting the agency’s executive director, Kimberly White, is married to fellow councilman Benjamin White, who in his recommendations suggested the council approve $10,000 to the agency.

“I’m sure this was an unintentional mistake on his part due to the appearance of impropriety it gives to our general public,” she said before asking for the lowered amount.

Council members voted 6-2 to approve nearly $499,000 in grants after lowering the amount awarded to the Career & Networking Center. In all, 41 agencies received grants from the city. White recused himself from the vote.

To determine final amounts, council members make recommendations on how to disperse $100,000 in grant funds. The grant amount is determined by taking the total amount all council members recommended an agency receive and dividing it by the number of council members who submitted recommendations.

Taylor argued White should not have made a recommendation for the Career & Networking Center. After Tuesday’s meeting, White noted his wife would not benefit from any grant amount because the grants cannot be used to cover salaries.

Councilman Ian Holzhauer charged Taylor’s move was “political” and questioned why she didn’t bring up her concerns to council members before Tuesday’s meeting.

“Frankly, it seems a little political,” Holzhauer said to Taylor. “I’m really disappointed about the look this has for the city of Naperville, and I think this could’ve been done better.”

Taylor said she was acting on what city staff suggested was the best way to address the issue. She also defended not calling other council members about her concern before the meeting, saying she was dealing with personal matters.

Discussion persisted after the vote when White brought up the issue later in the meeting, noting he heard the initial discussion.

“You say it’s not political. I call BS,” White said to Taylor, asking why she didn’t call him with her concerns.

Taylor responded by telling White he had not returned calls in the past and questioned if White properly recused himself if he could still hear the discussion before the vote.

“We’re going to move forward,” Mayor Scott Wehrli said in an attempt to end the back and forth. “We’re not going to have an argument at the dais amongst elected officials.”

White acknowledged he stood at the bottom of a staircase in city council chambers and could hear the discussion. But he noted that other council members have done the same thing while recusing themselves from previous votes.