The Greensboro City Council got into the weeds early at the work session on spending $31.8 million in American Rescue Plan funding and never found its way out.
The work session, held in the Plaza Level Conference Room at city hall on Thursday, Nov. 3, was supposed to be about additional expenditures made possible by the $59.4 million in ARP funding that the council dumped into the city’s general fund in August.
Early in the meeting, Assistant City Manager Larry Davis, who was making the presentation, suggested that the smaller nonprofits receiving allocations from the city be awarded an additional $25,000 to pay for the audit that the city requires from all nonprofits receiving more than $25,000 from the city and not just from nonprofits receiving ARP associated funding.
Councilmember Zack Matheny immediately objected saying, “I don’t agree with this. If you’re a nonprofit and you are receiving funds, we have to make sure that your books are in order. It’s not too much to ask.”
Davis said, “We’re not recommending that the requirement be waived, just that we help them out with the first audit.”
Matheny added that $25,000 for an audit of a small nonprofit was far too high. Matheny, who is president of Downtown Greensboro, Inc., said that the audit for that nonprofit organization was $4,000.
He said, “I don’t see how an audit could cost $25,000.”
Councilmember Tammi Thurm agreed saying that she worked for fairly large corporations that didn’t spend $25,000 on audits.
Matheny said, “If you set the bar at $25,000, guess how much an audit is going to cost? $25,000.”
Councilmember Sharon Hightower was in favor of awarding an additional $25,000 for audits.
Paying for the audit for smaller nonprofit organizations kept coming up during the work session, and a few minutes before adjournment Davis asked for some clarification from the City Council on audit support.
Councilmember Hugh Holston suggested a $20,000 cap.
Hightower said, “I’m comfortable with $25,000. It’s a little bit of money.”
Thurm said, “I’m up to $10,000.”
Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter said, “I’m up to $10,000.”
Hightower said, “It should be a minimum of $20,000.”
Davis then suggested that the 2004 policy requiring an audit be updated.
It did not appear that the City Council reached any consensus.
“it’s a little bit of money.” Easy to spend when it’s not your money. The ARP money did not just fall out of the sky either. It is tax money from a country running a huge deficit and high inflation. It has been over two years since Covid started. If you as a non profit or an individual have not gotten your s&*$ together, that is your problem. And yes, entities getting free money for their non profit should open their books. They should pay for it-I bet that would keep the costs down. Hello Hightower district-thanks for voting this idiot back in for 4 more years.
So $25,000 is “just a little bit of money” according to Sharon Hightower. If that is the case, Ms. Moneybags, dish it out of your pocket and see how little it is. What a joke of a leader. All she wants is to give away money to the same useless non-profits that her cronies run. Can this woman be impeached?
Conversations like this hurts the credibility of the city council. This money is part of the reason inflation is now 8.2%. If they don’t know how to spend the money the way it is named in the legislation it should be returned to the US Treasury.
I agree with Zack Matheny. Non-profits must find a qualified audit firm and negotiate the fee for an audit. It is utter nonsense for the city to pay for the audit of an outside agency that receives funds from the city. This is a basic premise that should be understood. Failure to understand leads to questions about council members’ to make informed decisions about the city budget.
Sadly, there are no people like Zack Matheny in east GBO. The DEMS have a political lock on votes.
Really? You voted for it now enjoy the circus. It’s your money!
I did not vote for one of these a-holes. But I am stuck with them until I retire.
Why is the city paying for a audit of a private entity to begin with. Do they not know that
” they ” are responsible for that to receive money from the city ..count me as very confused . Why aren’t they charged with proving their viability first and foremost to the city when begging for money . Prove by their own audit that they are spending money realistically before begging the city.
Hey Sharon, I could use “a little bit of money” to pay my new enhanced property taxes. Is $25,000 too much to ask?
Hightower said, “I’m comfortable with $25,000. It’s a little bit of money.”
You can’t fix STUPID!
Doubtful that folks who are struggling to pay for their everyday living expenses think $25,000 is “a little bit of money.”
How in the hades does Hightower say “ I’m good with 25k for an audit it’s a little bit of money “. If she feels that way maybe she should write a “personal “ check to help them pay for their audits after all this is taxpayer money she’s talking about. What a piece of sorry excuse for a council person she is.
I will take “a little bit of money “ to help with my bills, especially my tax hike and my higher house payment stemming from the huge tax increase. Hell, I will take $5000 or even $500. Get in reality Hightower.
Why is former Councilwoman, now Neighborhood Development Miller doing at the table……
Nonprofits receive tax breaks at the expense of all taxpayers, so the nonprofits should pay for their own certified audits. What if a taxpayer does not agree with the purpose of a particular nonprofit and yet contributes to the nonprofit through their taxes? This is coerced support of a nonprofit that the taxpayer may not voluntarily contribute to. Coercion in the sense that taxpayers are obligated to pay taxes or face the consequences.
Can a council member be impeached. If so I say let’s impeach Sharon Hightower. She is unqualified and extremely racist against any race except African Americans. She makes that abundantly clear every single meeting and statement. Impeach Hightower!
You my friend are being way too nice to her
Hell impeach the whole bunch of sorryness!
Let me get this straight…we need to give you $25,000 to pay for an audit because we gave you $25,000 and that requires an audit…
Hightower said, “I’m comfortable with $25,000. It’s a little bit of money.” This is the problem with this council, they spend taxpayer money like a drunk train robber. If it id such a little bit of money then take the council pay and pay for it… this council does not deserve to be paid for the sorry work they do.
Has anyone investigated Hightower’s background?