NEW PORT RICHEY — The city is again investing significant dollars in the Greater New Port Richey Main Street program to try to revive the often controversial and struggling non-profit.
Traditionally, each year the New Port Richey City Council has provided a grant to Main Street to help its operations, but the aid has been slashed from a high point of $75,000 a decade ago to $5,000 last year as city leaders continued to question the bang New Port Richey is getting for the buck.
Over the years, as the funding dwindled, debate often turned contentious. Most notably then-Main Street executive director Judy DeBella Thomas, who also serves on council, resigned her director’s position in 2010 to break a deadlocked council and cast the deciding vote to award $30,000 to Main Street.