Community Services Block Grant

The federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) helps fund the operations of a state Administered network of local agencies that combat poverty. This network consist of more than 1,070 agencies nationwide that create, coordinate, and deliver programs and services to low-income Americans in 99 percent of the nation’s counties. Most agencies in the CSBG network are Community Action Agencies created through the Economic Opportunity Act, a predecessor of the CSBG Act. Community representation and accountability are hallmarks of the CSBG network, where agencies are governed by a tripartite board. Because the CSBG funds the central management and core activities of these agencies, the CSBG network is able to mobilize additional resources to combat the central causes of poverty. In Texas, CSBG funds are administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The State of Texas has 45 CSBG eligible entities that cover all Texas counties.  

The Agency is a Webb County Department established by the Webb County Commissioner’s Court on October 01, 1996.

A Community Action Agency is locally governed by a tripartite board that fully participates in the development, planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs serving low-income communities. For private nonprofit entities, at least one-third of tripartite board membership must be democratically selected representatives of low-income individuals and families who reside in neighborhoods being served. One-third must be elected officials, holding office at their time of selection, or their representatives. The remaining board members must be chosen from “business, industry, and labor, religious, law enforcement, education, or other major groups and interests in the community served”.

The Community Action Agency is under the direction of a Governing Board, which is the Webb County Commissioners Court. The Advisory Board consists of a minimum of eighteen (18) members delineated into three (3) distinct Categories of Membership:

Category A: Consists of six members (6) appointed by the Webb County Commissioners Court. Each member of the Webb County Commissioners Court has the option to represent him/herself on the Advisory Board or they can select a representative to the Advisory Board to represent him/her. 

Category B:  Consists of eight (8) members who are elected by the residents from the designated service areas of Webb County. These designated service areas are served by the Webb County Community Action Agency through the different Community and Neighborhood Centers located in these service areas.

Category C:  Consists of four (4) members appointed by the Webb County Commissioners Court from Nonprofit Organizations, Civic Clubs, or Private interests. These groups shall be involved in business, industrial, labor, religious, law enforcement, education or other major groups and interests in the community they served.