Leesburg Council Member Opposes Salvation Army Contract Over LGBTQ+ Concerns

A staff recommendation that the Salvation Army of Loudoun County be selected to manage Leesburg’s new $100,000 utility assistance program was overruled by a Town Council majority Tuesday.

Council member Todd Cimino-Johnson won support for his motion that the contract be awarded to the alternate bidder, Loudoun Cares, instead. He objected to awarding the contract to the Salvation Army, citing the lingering controversy over the organization’s history of opposing gay rights and allegations of discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.

The program was proposed earlier this year when the Town Council increased utility rates by 4.1%. The council set aside $100,000 from the budget surplus to provide grants to residents struggling to pay their water and sewer bills. Under the proposal, customers with household earnings not over 50% of the area median income level could receive help with two quarterly bills per year, up to a total of $650. For a family of four, an income of $77,350 or below would qualify.

While both the Salvation Army and Loudoun Cares manage community assistance programs with public funds, the staff recommended awarding the contract to the Salvation Army because it did not plan to charge fees to manage the program. Loudoun Cares projected $13,400 in administrative costs.

Cimino-Johnson, who is gay, asked whether the town staff considered “the history of the Salvation Army being homophobic and transphobic” when making the recommendation. Deputy Town Manager Keith Markel said those social issues were not discussed in the staff’s evaluation and that the management of the town assistance program would be required to be separate for the organization’s religious activities. “Obviously, plenty of nonprofits are faith-based nonprofits that distribute these funds and it’s very clear and they’re well aware that there can be no commingling of what the religious side does versus the community support side,” Markel said.

Cimino-Johnson also raised concerns about the lack of overhead costs in the Salvation Army’s bid, saying governments are required to reimburse nonprofits for their work. Salvation Army Major Robin Hackbath said administration of the program would not require any additional expenses and would use staff members who already manage community assistance programs.

Loudoun Cares projected $13,400 administration costs recovered through a $100 fee per transaction. Mayor Kelly Burk said both the Salvation Army and Loudoun Cares do good work in the community. “I have a brother who’s gay and I talked to him about this,” Burk said. He noted that through history many charity organizations “have not been kind to” LGBTQ+ individuals.

Source: Read the original report