An agenda item to gift $5,000 to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post last week prompted a discussion among Ceres City Council members, one who was confused about the policy set last year.
Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra said she misunderstood what the council decided, believing that councilmembers were to be able to distribute $1,000 per year to a local nonprofit group of their choosing and not $5,000. She also believed the group had to be a 501c3 nonprofit group.
City Manager Doug Dunford corrected her, saying at the time the council was focused on all Ceres nonprofits, not strictly a 501c3.
“As an example of VFW it’s a 501c19, which is specifically for the veterans and so that was the whole purpose behind saying it was a nonprofit,” said Dunford.
Vierra said she reviewed the video of the October meeting and heard that councilmembers were to limit to $1,000. But at that meeting the council later increased the amount to two $2,500 donations or one $5,000 donation per councilmember.
Vierra pressed on with questions.
“Was it (the donation) just for any nonprofit or did it have to be for a specific event?” Vierra asked, “because, again, I remember asking for like a flyer or something that documented that they were intending to do something that was benefiting the community; not that they (veterans) don’t do it, but I just want to make sure we’re consistent moving forward into what our expectations are for any other businesses or nonprofits that approach us.”
“It was my understanding that it was some benefit to the community,” said Dunford.
Vierra said she already announced to various groups with what she understood to be the donation policy.
Councilman James Casey said when the council crafted the 2026-27 budget it set aside $25,000 to be distributed annually and that each councilmember could choose to give up to $5,000 to nonprofit charity organizations of their choice.
“It was not confusing to me,” said Casey.
Ceres resident John Warren understood the contributions were coming from the Ceres hotel tax, or Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT).
Dunford said the money is coming out of the General Fund.
But the Courier confirmed with Dunford that TOT revenues indeed go into the city’s general fund.
