The Howick Local Board awarded $100,372.71 in its latest community grants round, more than three times the $31,295 its own officers recommended.
Staff had advised funding just 10 of the 45 applications in Local Grant Round Two, and recommended the other 35 be declined.
At its 23 April meeting the Board instead funded or part-funded dozens more, spending $69,077.71 above the officers’ total.
The single biggest departure was a grant of $31,438.71 to the Te Tuhi Contemporary Art Trust, the Pakuranga art gallery, funded in full despite an officer recommendation to decline it.
Officers had advised declining the application on the grounds of accountability issues, ineligibility under the local board grant programme, and that the sum sought was below the minimum needed for the project to proceed.
The Board funded it anyway, subject to the trust completing its accountability report, after a rare recorded division vote.
The motion, moved by board member Damian Light and seconded by Chair Bruce Kendall, carried five votes to three.
Members John Spiller, Adele White and Jack Collins joined Light and Kendall in voting for, members Mike Turinsky, Luke Collings and Krish Naidu voted against, and Deputy Chair Kai Zeng abstained.
Two further Te Tuhi applications, for $12,005.76 and $22,714.48, were declined at the same meeting.
The Te Tuhi grant was not the only place the Board parted ways with its staff.
It fully funded several applications officers had marked to decline, among them $9,950 to the East Skate Club, $8,760 to BirdCare Aotearoa and $3,000 to Totara Hospice.
It also went the other way in places, declining the Toy Library Howick and Pakuranga despite an officer recommendation to give it $5,000, and cutting the Meadowlands Sports and Recreation Charitable Trust from a recommended $9,000 to $2,500.
The Board has set a total community grants budget of $300,000 for the year, and the round was heavily oversubscribed, with the 45 applicants together seeking $430,288.15.
The decisions were confirmed in the Board’s minutes at its 28 May meeting.
