Yuma County supervisors rank CDBG projects, preserve $750,000 for Family Advocacy Center

Yuma County supervisors debated and ranked community projects on Feb. 19 as they prepare applications for federal Community Development Block Grant funding for fiscal year 2026. The discussion focused county attention on which local infrastructure and social-service proposals will compete for federal dollars next year, though the supervisors did not release project names or dollar-by-dollar requests at the meeting.

Separately, the board voted to adopt the county's 2026 federal legislative priorities after a staff presentation from Alejandro Figueroa, Economic Development staff. Staff recommended seeking permanent PILT funding; H-2A visa flexibility (including extending the application window to 100 days); a clear post-2026 Colorado River management framework to preserve agricultural water reliability; additional staffing for the San Luis port of entry during its expansion; and federal staffing at ports of entry. The board voted to adopt those priorities and directed staff to coordinate letters and advocacy per the packet recommendations.

The supervisors also backed state-level action to protect local project funding. “SB1161 as a Yuma-specific measure that preserves $750,000 previously appropriated for the Yuma County Family Advocacy Center from lapsing at year-end; the bill does not increase funding but lets the county use the existing appropriation if project timelines delay procurement or contracting.” Staff recommended a position of support on that bill and the board agreed to support it, preserving the appropriation so the Family Advocacy Center can proceed if its procurement or contracting schedule slips.

Border and public-safety funding drew separate board action this week. “More border support is coming to Yuma County and it's all thanks to another grant approved this morning by the Yuma County Board of Supervisors,” Reporter Maline Murray said in a Citizen Portal video excerpt. The grant, provided to the Yuma County Sheriff's Office by the Department of Public Safety, “is being provided to the Yuma County Sheriff's Office by the Department of Public Safety to help enhance border security and support... it's going to buy some drones and help with um you know, just daily expenses with the sheriff's office.” Local residents quoted in the video framed the spending as community protection: “I think funding for the sheriff's department in order to prove our border security is very important to me anyway. I I can't think of anything more important... Funding local law enforcement not only helps him feel safe, but the community as a whole... We think it makes everybody feel safer. Uh it's just that what's the opposite? Unsecure border, border insecurity. Uh we can't have that either.” Another resident said, “Anything we can do to stop, you know, the the flow of illegals coming across, and I'm not just saying illegals, it's the ones the criminal element, you know, the drugs that come across also. The grant not only helps support our border, but helps to keep our community safe.”

County managers told the board they are “ongoing monitoring of grant and port operations” amid lingering impacts from a partial federal government shutdown that affected some administrative functions. With staff directed to coordinate letters and advocacy on the newly adopted federal priorities, the county is moving into a lobbying phase aimed at securing funding and staffing for PILT, H-2A reforms, Colorado River stability, and port-of-entry support while preserving the $750,000 Family Advocacy Center appropriation.