SAFFORD — A program that funds scholarships to Eastern Arizona College was accused of being “political.”
During Monday’s budget work session, Safford City Councilman Arnold Lopez said he didn’t want requests for funding to be political in nature, such as with Eastern Arizona Hispanic Heritage Corporation.
Councilman Michael Andazola, who serves as chairman of the nonprofit Eastern Arizona Hispanic Heritage Corporation, questioned Lopez’s classification of the organization as “political,” saying it serves to provide scholarships to Eastern Arizona College for anyone, regardless of age, gender or race.
Lopez said his issue was being asked to make a decision on a funding request in a public forum.
“To have some people come, and then to present $2,700 in a meeting like that, puts pressure on the rest of us to say yes to you. That’s what I mean by political,” Lopez said.
Eastern Arizona Hispanic Heritage Corporation asks each of the governing bodies in Graham and Greenlee counties for contributions in order to fund scholarships. The scholarships are administered by the EAC Foundation.
City Manager John Cassella said it’s up to the City Council how it wants to handle requests for donations. The council could stop funding the requests; it could set a specified deadline and budget for submittals; or it could increase its contribution to the Arizona Community Foundation of the Gila Valley, and let ACF choose which requests are funded.
