\nNow Wally was purchased with grant funds. Rudy was trained with grant\nfunds. Our mobile command center was purchased with grant funds. Several\nother pieces of equipment for Police and Fire departments are purchased\nwith grants. Now, there are those that scream and shake their fist at\ngovernment to say, \u201cTake no grants, for they are evil\u201d.\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nWell, through our grant division and the efforts of our grant director,\nKathy Brunot, the city secured over 3 million dollars of grants this year\nalone through state and federal agencies to support the Fire Department,\nPolice Department, Housing Division, the Utilities Department and the\nPublic Works Department. All were put to good use and all have a direct\nbenefit to the citizens of Valdosta.\n\nOur philosophy at the city is that if we have a need and it\u2019s a growing\nneed, then look for a grant. The reverse is never true with us. That\nis to say, we do not get offered a grant and then scrape and scratch\nto create a need for that grant. That is playing a game with serious\ngrant money and we just simply won\u2019t do it. And these are competitive\ngrants \u2013 all of them. Once submitted they have to be presented and\nsold and that is where the department directors, Mr. Hanson, and I come\nin. That\u2019s also where travel expenses prove their worth – the worth of\nmore than 17 million over the last 3 years. Just last week while at the\nBird Supper, that next day when I always submit projects to the leadership\nand the governor; the city had two major local transportation projects to\npresent. After sitting with some of the Chairmen of different committees,\nsenior staff and Senator Tim Golden at the capital, I walked out with a\ncommitment of 3 million dollars. This is just one example of how these\ntrips pay for themselves over and over again. Grants play an important\npart in funding needs that are provided to the citizens and give benefit\nto the greater good, such as Wally and Rudy, whom you met here tonight.\n<\/blockquote>\nI give him points for stating a strategy and reasons for it.\n