The Guilford County Board of Commissioners used an afternoon work session on Thursday, August 4 to spend millions in federal money provided by the American Rescue Plan Act – money meant to help provide economic relief from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board decided to use the money to hire fire fighters, make improvements in paramedic training and support the local Foster Parent program among other things.
Guilford County received $104 million in Rescue Plan money in two payments – one in July of last year and one in July of this year. About 2,200 Guilford County residents provided input to the commissioners on what the county’s priorities should be for the money.
During the August 4 work session, the board heard various proposals including the wants and needs of the City of Greensboro and the towns of Stokesdale, Oak Ridge, Pleasant Garden, Gibsonville and Summerfield.
Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said the magnitude of the requests “demonstrates the tremendous need in our community.”
There’s plenty more money to be spent; however, at the Thursday work session the board approved the following:
•$1,125,000 to hire and train 24 new firefighters each year over the next three years – for a total of 72. They’ll serve unincorporated Guilford County. In recent decades there’s been a big fall off in the number of volunteer firefighters helping county fire departments and this expenditure will enhance fire protection in the county.
• $400,000 for staffing of the county’s EMT/Paramedic Academy and upgrades in technology and additional equipment for the training program.
• $1,548,901 to fund a “specialized protective services team” meant to fight domestic violence and child abuse in the county. The team will work with the Guilford County Family Justice Center at both the Greensboro and High Point location.
• $885,113 to work with community partners to improve food security across Guilford County.
•$350,000 to double the number of licensed, trained foster families available for children referred by Guilford County Social Services. According to county officials, the goal is to add 150 new licensed foster families and “significantly improve capacity for children in need of care.”
There will be more spending of the federal pool of money down the line: The board is planning a series of future work sessions to hear more proposals and hand out more funds.
Early in 2022, after a call for proposals, the county received 75 requests for the federal money that amounted to more than $280 million in asks. Guilford County Manager Mike Halford then developed a list of $68 million in projects that he recommended.
Where do we figure they’ll get the funds to cover the new positions when these funds run out? Oh, I know…
Is this a fancy way of saying stocking food banks??
$885,113 to work with community partners to improve food security across Guilford County
Since this is politics, am sure they will donate those funds to their democrat constituents. Conservatives need not apply, but if the board was conservative, the democrats would trash the decision as well. Politics of both parties is just dividing the money among their friends, supporters, and in many cases relatives.
There is $99 Million or so missing from this accounting; who got that? The money pit museum?
If there is a majority of the Greensboro homeless that are mentally Ill then A reincarnation of Dorothea Dix is tearing it’s ugly head to become a reality. When I was a younger individual Dorothea Dix in Raleigh was the lace the mentally I’ll were sent to be looked after. The Democrats of the Time decided that it was inhumane to lock these people up. SO they closed this facility down and put them on the streets to do mischief with everyday people. When I was young there were homeless people,they were with family or in jail or Dorothea Dix.
There was an old addage that said ‘if you don’t work you don’t eat’. If the city were to cut off all the freebies that are being handed out you would see changes with these folks.
It seems as Ms Wells has said let’s get an outside group and pay them a salary in the range of $150-300 thousand dollars to find out what the homeless want. This would probably be a good job for your newest member who just left a cushy job with the city .You have your 2 nd in command who already gets a big ‘chunck of change ‘ from the city for her job with children.
What a waste of time and Money ,But this is Typical of Democrats. Increase taxes so we can buy votes,give to our friends,and just throw it to the wind. When we run out we’ll just raise taxes again .
What is so startling is that the Greensboro people are gluttons for punishment,they keep voting in these Democrats.
I am reminded of the commissioners board from 2012 to 2018tjey didn’t raise taxes at all. All functions continue to operate as normal then they vote in a Democratic commissioners board and we give 2 Billion dollars to the school and they have not spent one red cent on school A/C which the schools need. The schools thought they should refurbish the central office instead. Whoop de doo. Thanks to Skip the King and crew of incompetence.