GONZALES - A representative for a nonprofit and the Gonzales City Council got into a heated exchange following the council rejecting a $5,000 grant for the nonprofit.

The Arc of East Ascension requested $5,000 to purchase replacement equipment for the organization’s pecan-cracking program, which was rejected due to council members wanting more transparency with the organization's finances and why it needed the grant in the first place.

Arc of East Ascension offers services including job training for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. It also hosts the Dancing for a Cause fundraiser each year.

Arc of East Ascension board member Anita Cann spoke to the board after the board voted 3-2 to reject the grant.

"We say pecan cracking, we also have a shredding business, we have a janitorial business, but the pecan cracking is something that they enjoy doing. It’s a service that we provide for the community, and it is something that they’re able to do and be successful at," she said. "And with the no votes, I was just wondering why is that the case, so we’ll know what we need to do to go forward."

Council members asked about the usage of the Dancing for a Cause funds, where Cann said they had funds they could use but wanted assistance. Cann asked another council member, who said, "You said you have the money." When that council member asked how much money was in the organization's trust account, Cann asked what that had to do with the grant.

“You have the money, you have the money, you have the money,” Lambert said. “That’s my point.”

Before turning away, Cann said she "will remember."