The agenda for first Greensboro City Council meeting of 2023 on Tuesday, Jan. 3 appears to be dominated by spending the remaining $31.9 million in American Rescue Plan funds.
The city received a total of $54.9 million in ARP funds with the first check for $29.7 million in May 20221 and the second in May 2022. The ARP money has to be spent by December 2026 or returned to the federal government. However, the City Council doesn’t have to be concerned about that deadline because it allocated the entire $54.9 million on Aug. 16, 2022. So while the City Council claims to be spending ARP money, it is all smoke and mirrors. The money the City Council will be allocating is not ARP funds and doesn’t fall under any of the federal restrictions on how ARP funds can be spent.
The City Council agreed at a work session on Dec. 20 to spend all but $3,175,000 on city projects.
According to resolution in the agenda packet the City Council will allocate $1.5 million to Habitat for Humanity, $800,000 to Community Housing Solutions, $500,000 to the Greensboro Housing Coalition and $375,000 to the Greensboro Science Center.
The remainder of the $31.9 million the city plans to spend internally, including $2 million for affordable housing, micro-units and the Down Payment Assistance program.
The remaining allocations are:
Infrastructure Renewal and Economic Development
- City of Greensboro Sportsplex – Roof Replacement for $1,000,000
- City of Greensboro Gillespie Golf Course – Course and Infrastructure Improvements for $2 million
- City of Greensboro Bryan Park North – Infrastructure and Amenity Improvements for $5.9 million
- City of Greensboro Innovation District – Improvements to South Elm Street for $1 million
- City of Greensboro – Downtown Strategic Plan Implementation – Container Hub for $1 million
- City of Greensboro – Downtown Strategic Plan Implementation – Music Hall for $1.1 million
- City of Greensboro – Participatory Budgeting Implementation – Gate City Boulevard and Elm Street to Revolution Mill Trolley for $1 million
- City of Greensboro – Tornado Reinvestment for $250,000
Public Safety
- City of Greensboro – Fire Station Development for $9 million
- City of Greensboro – Creating Police Neighborhood Hubs for $1 million
Employee/Organizational Support
- City of Greensboro – Health Insurance Fund Support for $990,000
- City of Greensboro – Bi-weekly Pay Transition Assistance for $660,000
- City of Greensboro – General Insurance Fund Support for $1.8 million
In the beginning the City Council agreed to spend the bulk of $54.9 million on a “transformational” project, but that idea fell by the wayside and the City Council agreed on Dec. 20 to spend this one-time allocation not much different than the rest of the budget.
Those people have no right to give tax payer money to Greensboro employed people for down payment money to buy houses. We worked and paid for our houses if we own a house. It is their responsibility to save and pay for their own house. Give them a Dave Ramsey money book. That will tell them how to save and buy their own house. I bet they all have cell phones and probably 2 cars to a family. Our taxes were just raised snd this is how they are spending tax payer money.
Hear, hear !
The allocation of the monies to “business as usual” City expenses is an abomination. Greensboro citizens, as well as all the U S citizens whose tax dollars fund these excessive dollars programs should be outraged. One day, the chickens will come home to roost. One can only hope that then these incompetent federal, state and city officials will get the boot and exit their jobs.
Let’s go back to the beginning of when the ARP funds were “given” to the city with strict guidelines on where to focus the spending to serve the area and citizens best, American Rescue needs. This was a city responsibility but council saw a ton of money they wanted to control. The project was too large for council, so they created a loophole and “awarded” the funds to the general fund. How does this eliminate the city from following and providing the proof of good use as the federal program requires. This doesn’t add up at all. Then council agrees to use the majority of money for a future, to be created, large beneficial project. That got too hard too. They can use the funds for water projects, housing, bridge repair, things that America needs and would benefit many and update America. The result is for projects that taxpayers have been paying all along. Employee benefits? Golf course repair for Hightower, and all the other common city expenses? What’s the possibility of the federal government to request the required proof of good use along with results. After we fail, the feds request a majority of $53 million back. Taxes will seem like your living in San Diego but living in San Juan after a double hurricane.
It is all a part of the demoncrat party’s effort to bankrupt America.
We’re witnessing public sector profligacy amidst private sector privation.
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in other words, the parasites are living high on the hog, while the producers are struggling to survive.
It’s obscene government greed.
From your lips to the surf’s ears…not that it seems to do much good since there is a high level of voter apathy.
Back when people lived in a more orderly society, governments were not the entities with money. Industries (manufacturing, construction and raw materials), and small businesses were the primary generator of economic well-being and growth. Government had limitations imposed by informed citizenry. If an individual needed help, it was not the government that was solicited. Government resources were limited and the resources available belonged to everyone to be used for the betterment of an orderly society. Then came the 1960s. Society was turned upside down. Government now has the money, which is taken from those who pay taxes. Government money is now used to buy votes, reward those who favor big government and those who suckle at the government teat. The only way to right the ship in an orderly fashion is term limits so that special interests do not have time to get cozy with politicians, limit tax money that makes its way to a government treasury (local, state and federal) and recruiting qualified candidates to run for office. Government cannot spend money it does not have except to print funny money, which will eventually collapse the economy, which is now very likely.
Termlimits,
I agree with everything you have said except for the very end. Change “very likely” to “inevitable”
Under “public safety”, anything there to hire more police for the GPD? Raise their salary?
Only thing I see really happening is more people leaving the GPD; whenever they decide to uproot themselves out of the County.