Mobile County declines support for Baptist event, cites state law
The Mobile County Commission agreed last week to make a small contribution to a local event hosted by a religious organization only to renege on that support at the advice of its legal team.
That contribution — part of the Commission’s Dec. 28 regular agenda — was $2,500 intended to help underwrite the cost of the National Baptist Convention’s Mid-Winter Board Meeting, which will be held at the Mobile Convention Center later this month.
As contribution was conditionally approved, though, Commissioner Connie Hudson tasked the county’s legal staff with reviewing the legality of giving public funds to a private religious organization before the transaction actually occurs.
“I questioned it because I’ve always been of the understanding that it would disallow appropriating funds to any religious institution,” Hudson said. “To me, there’s just so much ambiguity, and it just makes me a little bit uncomfortable without having an absolute opinion that this is within legal guidelines before we move forward.”
Read more: https://lagniappemobile.com/county-reneges-support-for-religious-conference/