Public Invited to Help City Donate to Charities

The public was invited to help city officials decide which charities should get tax payer-funded grants.

The city plans to hold two meetings, both on Wednesday at the Civic Center. One is set for 3 p.m. and the other for 6 p.m.  For the location, .

Every year, the city allots several thousand dollars of its fund to give to charity as part of its Community Development Block Grant program, according to city documents.

In previous years, the grant program was the focus of scrutiny.

Last year, the city gave grants to Birth Choice, a woman's resource center that aims to discourage woman from having abortions. To read about it, .

The city also gave more than $10,000 to the employer of a City Council member. To read about it, .

This year, officials ask residents to help them make the decision, according to documents.

The city got its funds from the county until this year, when a structure change allowed the city to get its money directly from the federal U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It will get about 10 percent more money because of the change, documents state.