Proposed small-business grant program will honor late ‘Mayor of South Merced’
.jpeg "Charley Huddleston")
The Merced City Council on Tuesday unanimously kicked off the first steps for a new grant program that will nurture burgeoning local businesses — and honor a late champion of the community.
The new $10,000 grant is being developed in honor of Charles Huddleston, who died last year after decades of advocating for the City of Merced and its youth.
“(Huddleston) invested in youth before it was a hashtag,” said City Councilman Jesse Ornelas, who devised the grant in remembrance of the late community organizer.
The grant is the first program Ornelas, the newly elected representative for Merced’s District 1, has brought to the council for consideration. “This is the least we can do for him, this is the least we can do for his family and the community he touched.”
Huddleston was especially a fixture in south Merced, as some residents affectionately referred to him as the “mayor” of that part of the city.
“Mr. Huddleston did a lot for the community, especially in McNamara Park,” said Councilman Fernando Echevarria, whose District 2 encompasses south Merced.
Huddleston is also remembered for helping spearhead efforts to rename Merced’s J Street to how it is known today: Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
The new business grant named in Huddleston’s memory was introduced by Ornelas the day after the MLK holiday.
“Initially, my goal with this was to spark small business startups for the Black community here in Merced,” Ornelas said. “There’s a long history of barriers for Black folks to create businesses here.”
After discussing the grant’s logistics with the city attorney, Ornelas shifted to opening up the grant for all Merced residents.
Grant will benefit new, small businesses
Mayor Matthew Serratto said the program will promote Merced’s status as a good city to start a new business in. The mayor has said that catalyzing Merced’s business-friendliness will be a priority during his first four-year term.
“Businesses are going through extraordinary times,” Serratto said. “There’s a lot of talk about Merced needing to be more business friendly, and I think we’re all committed to that.”
Still, there are a few prerequisites to receive the grant.
Businesses must be brand new and have no more than five employees to qualify. Applicants’ business plans will also be reviewed by the small business development center. The $10,000 in funding will offset costs associated with licenses new businesses must obtain.
Ornelas said he hopes the grant becomes an annual opportunity to help new small businesses open up shop.
“I think that dollar amount is a good start,” said Councilman Kevin Blake.
Depending on how the program goes, Blake said he sees potential for the grant’s funding to grow.
The seven-member council’s unanimous thumbs-up on Tuesday gave city staff the green light to begin developing the idea of the grant into a reality.
Staff will return with any necessary program approvals at later City Council meetings.
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
