Human Services Funding
Redmond has a long-standing history of using a portion of its tax dollars in support of organizations providing much-needed human services to residents in our community.  Every two years, the City accepts proposals from agencies seeking funding support in the next biennium. 

In 2009, the City adopted its first Human Services Strategic Plan and established a Human Services Commission charged with advising the City Council on funding and policy issues related to human services.  The Commission is a group of seven community volunteers appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council.  This is the group tasked with reviewing agency proposals for Redmond funds in 2011 and 2012. 

The volunteer board spent the entire summer reviewing applications from 71 human service programs such as food banks, shelters, counseling, childcare and job assistance. They determined what level of funding to recommend for each.  The task was especially challenging given requests that totaled $994,077, while anticipating approximately $665,000 available to allocate. Following a very thorough review process, the Commission presented its funding recommendations to City Council on September 29.  At that meeting, Commissioners shared some of the particular challenges they encountered during their deliberations:

• Effects of the economic recession on both residents and agencies providing services
• Many agencies experiencing increasing demand for services
• Complexity involved in striking a balance among a number of competing and compelling priorities

Final human services funding will be adopted as part of the overall 2011-2012 City budget. 

The Commission hopes to spend most of its time next year engaging and educating the community on issues related to human services. Public input is always appreciated and citizens are welcome to attend Human Services Commission meetings held on the second Monday of the month from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the City Hall Council Conference Room. 

For more information or to share your thoughts with the Commission, please contact Colleen Kelly at ckelly@redmond.gov.

Commissioners shared
some of the particular
challenges they
encountered during
their deliberations:

Effects of the economic recession on both residents and agencies providing services


Many agencies experiencing increasing demand for services

Complexity involved in striking a balance among a number of competing and
compelling priorities