OMAHA- In a political tug-of-war over how to allocate $200,000 in city money, a program to help small businesses beat out an effort to provide legal assistance to those facing eviction.

The City Council was deciding how to spend the money Mayor Jean Stothert earmarks in the budget each year for council members to direct to their preferred community programs. This year, council members submitted about $250,000 in proposals, which meant that some ideas wouldn’t be able to advance to keep the budget balanced. Stothert has proposed a $456.1 million general fund budget and an annual update to the city’s capital improvement program.

The council’s four Democrats — Danny Begley, Pete Festersen, Juanita Johnson and Vinny Palermo — voted for a proposal by Johnson to direct $40,000 to the Reach program, an effort by the city and the Greater Omaha Chamber to provide education and assistance to small and emerging businesses.

Johnson argued that an expanded Reach program will lead to higher wages for families in underserved areas of Omaha, including the northeast Omaha district she represents.

But Councilwoman Aimee Melton noted that Reach already receives $150,000 from the city each year, in addition to money from local businesses and the chamber.

Melton instead advocated that the money be used for one of her amendments, which called for $50,000 to hire someone to coordinate the Douglas County Tenant Assistance Project. It has been sending volunteer lawyers to represent people facing eviction for nonpayment during the current moratorium on evictions.

Melton and Councilman Don Rowe, a fellow Republican, voted against Johnson’s amendment. Councilman Brinker Harding was absent.

In a statement Tuesday, Stothert said she was “disappointed” that the council did not adopt Melton’s amendment.

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