Newton County is getting closer to hiring a firm to write grants to seek out more state and federal funding. The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to continue talking to Palmetto Grant Consulting, the only company to submit a bid on time, and see what exactly the company will do. Palmetto Grant had a base rate of $3,700 per month, which County Manager John Middleton said would fit within the proposed $50,000 budget (the base rate for a year would total $44,400).