County hires federal grant experts
By Terry Murry on Friday, April 9th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Umatilla County is hiring Merchant McIntyre Associates of Washington, D.C. to help it rake in more federal grants. Board of Commissioners Chairman George Murdock said that work is best left in the hands of the experts.
“When you look at something like a stimulus bill, which is extremely complex and might run a thousand pages, we just don’t have the capacity or the understanding to be able to go through those grants,” he said.
Murdock stressed that Merchant McIntyre won’t just be seeking stimulus bill grants. It will investigate all sectors of the federal government for available funding. The company, which bills itself as a government affairs expert, comes well recommended.
“The city of Hermiston said their return on investment is outstanding,” Murdock said. “They have had a very, very positive experience with this firm.”
Merchant McIntyre secured a $1.2 million grant to build the infrastructure that is creating the South Hermiston Industrial Park to create shovel-ready industrial parcels.
“The ultimate objective is for every federal dollar we secure to provide budget relief and/or help the county take a leap forward on initiatives to better serve your citizens,” Merchant McIntyre wrote in its proposal to the county.
The commissioners approved contracting with the firm at this week’s regular meeting for $6,000 a month.
