As the donation deadline nears for the fourth round of the COVID Relief Fund, the Nevada Irrigation District Board of Directors has turned down a request from local leaders for a contribution. NID Public Information Officer Tomi Riley says the Board praised the “Small Business Winter Survival Campaign”. But she says, in turning down the 50-thousand dollar request, the Board says the district has already forgiven more than 165-thousand dollars in revenue from ratepayers, since declaring a pandemic emergency in March of last year…

Riley says this is in addition to the mounting expenses NID has incurred as an essential service during the pandemic…

But Riley says the Board was also concerned about the perception of a gift of public funds and a policy they put in place in 2019 that suspended all contributions to nonprofits and community organizations until all reserve funds are once again at desired levels. Nevada County Supervisors have approved two contributions to the Relief Fund, including one for 100-thousand dollars in December, as a challenge grant.