There are a lot of unpleasant parts of the job of Guilford County commissioner.
However, on Thursday, Aug.18, the board once again had a pleasurable task. Commissioners were trying to figure out the best ways to spend the $45 million left of American Rescue Plan (ARP) money that was provided Guilford County government for economic relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The board started with $104 million in ARP funds. However, after previous expenditures this summer for county improvements, projects proposed by cities and towns, increased fire protection and other items, less than half the money is left.
The board met in the large third-floor conference room of the Truist Bank building in downtown Greensboro to decide – with input from Guilford County Manager Mike Halford – how the remainder of the money should be spent. Unlike previous work sessions, the board didn’t make any decisions but instead discussed a very wide number of remaining requests.
Some of those groups that have requested part of the money are Say Yes Guilford, the Greensboro Arts Council, area programs that fight homelessness and feed the hungry, and Guilford County’s mental health services – along with many others.
Halford would like to see some of that go toward county government efforts to improve county services for citizens.
The commissioners had a lot of questions about what Halford was proposing and how he had arrived at those decisions.
Though the board didn’t take any action during the August 18 work session, the commissioners have expressed a goal of getting the money out into the community as fast as possible so it can begin working for the benefit of the county’s citizens.
The board is holding very frequent work sessions to see that it happens and more board votes to spend millions are expected very soon.
As always, there’s not enough money to meet all the requests.
“Obviously, this list is more than we have left,” Halford told the board.
“It’s like Christmas – you don’t get everything you ask for,” Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said.
Conservative Republican Commissioner Justin Conrad chimed in: “With this group, you will.”
Conrad was making a humorous point about the propensity of the Democratic-majority board to spend money freely whenever a request for it is made.
How about returning some of the recent tax increases to the people?
That’d work for me ….
I’ve got an idea to help the commissioners spend OUR TAX dollars. Give every 1-4 grade teacher in the county school system $500 dollars to buy the school supplies that they pay for out of pocket each year. Wow what an idea let’s see how much traction this gets.
My ex is a retired schoolteacher (34 years). She was smart; while her kids were working on projects, she did all her planning while on the job. She didn’t bring any work home, just political frustration. She didn’t buy her students jack. In her last years, she taught AG classes, so no BS from the students was tolerated.
It’s not the teacher’s job to buy stuff for their students. It is not in the job description. I understand that those in the know get out of teaching ASAP; or many have reached their level of incompetence.
We are indoctrinating obedient little consumers, without a clue of what is really going on. Only too late do they discover it, meanwhile they and their like continue to erode and destroy our Republic. For example, even the FARGO, ND (of all places) schools want to hire woke teachers who don’t like Florida’s position on education.
Not a bad idea. Of course, when I went to school in the 50s and 60s, we bought our own school supplies. There were the trips t Eckerd Drugs for paper, oencils and notebooks with a stop at the G. I. 1200 on Bessemer to get an army surplus musette bag as a bookbag. But now with students having to get $150.00 sneakers and new cell phones, there must not be enough left over to get the necessary supplies for school.
Dang Dave I didn’t think there was anyone left who remembered GI 1200 on Bessemer That’s pre Kmart, Zayres or Wal Mart. There was also the other big store down on East 70. I think it was called Clark’s. Coming from a small town it felt like going to New York City. The building was torn down recently
Another idea, reduce the ridiculous high taxes …betting the balance of dollars will be totally wasted on personal likes and projects of each commissioner and their friends. No, I have no faith or trust in any of their actions.
Merry Christmas Skip! All this federal money, $300,000,000 in past bonds and $1,700,000,000 recent bonds, plus a 30% tax increase.
You did get all you asked for, so now we ask; How are you going to pay for it all. No worries on your part, most of us, including you, won’t live that long.
As the American people suffer in this recession, the parasites of The Parasitic Sector are swimming in money (our money).
And they say capitalism is greed…
Government is greed, pure and simple.
Fill the food banks instead of constantly coming to us for help when you’re sitting on this money. Stop with the sidewalks nobody uses and the random artwork all over the city. Help the homeless. Don’t just talk about it. Do your job!
I say the same thing to the Commissioners that I say to the City Council
Just substitute Skip and Co. for City Council
The money was meant for recovery…recovery of businesses, especially small and local businesses that suffered irreparable loss due to Covid. You can surely find many of those here. Some had to close. It is meant for them. It is meant for people who lost their jobs due to Covid and legitimately, while looking for a job, haven’t been able to find one. It is meant for those same people that lost their house, their car, everything.
It was not meant for regular maintenance items that should already be in the City’s budget. It is not a gift or prize for City Council to spend on itself, it’s employees or it’s infrastructure. Just read the law! It’s not for the Mayor and others to add to their check book. READ THE FEDERAL LAW AND IT IS CLEAR THAT IT IS NOT COUNCIL’s WINDFALL. it is meant for the people that suffered irreparably from Covid.
All forms of government practise theft.
They can’t hold a discrete stash of cash without pilfering it (viz. the Social Security Trust Fund, or the NC Highway Trust Fund).
All government is corrupt and unethical.