The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday morning to de-obligate $350,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding it planned to put toward the city of Columbus’ blight elimination program.
The board held an ARPA workshop after its regular meeting Monday, mostly to get new supervisors Matt Furnari and Andy Williamson up to speed on how the county allocated its ARPA money.
During the course of that workshop, County Administrator Jay Fisher asked the board if it wanted to stick with an earlier plan to give the city $350,000 for blight elimination.
The county set the money aside in April 2022, contingent on receiving a plan from the city laying out how it would be used. Since then the city has been awarded $3 million from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and has thrown $500,000 of its own money in the pot.
The money will be used to buy blighted property, demolish or rehabilitate any existing structure on it and then attempt to market it to redevelopers who will put in affordable housing. Vacant and overgrown lots also qualify.
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks said he wants to use the money to address needs at the road department.
The road department specifically needs pickups, Brooks said, and the need is becoming dire.
“It was a good idea then, but the county has needs we need to address now,” President and District 2 Supervisor Trip Hairston said. “I think we all support the program, but it’s gotten ($3 million in) other federal support now.”
Brooks moved, with a second by Hairston, to inform the city by letter of the supervisors’ intent to de-obligate the ARPA money. It passed unanimously.
After the meeting, Hairston said it was a matter of “fighting the fires that burn the hottest.”
“Thursday (the road department) had two trucks on the rack, replacing transmissions,” Hairston said. “You not only have mileage, but you have hours on the trucks, and that adds up and you have a lot of maintenance issues. That costs us a lot of money.”
Constantly spending money to keep old trucks on the road is “sending good money after bad” at a certain point, Hairston said, and the county doesn’t want to get caught out with no workable trucks.
“We saw a real issue with (Golden Triangle Waste Services) because the trucks were in such terrible shape,” Hairston said. “They tried to stay on top of it, but because of (COVID-19-related) supply chain issues they got behind. We don’t need to get caught behind.”
GTWS saw a reduction in service for months due to an aging fleet and the difficulty getting either trucks or spare parts. As a result trash pickup lagged behind for months.
The road department would likely buy about eight pickups, Hairston said.
Hairston said the board still supports the city, but it can’t justify letting go of the money with the existing needs in the county.
“We still believe in the blight program, and we’re supportive of it,” Hairston said. “We did provide $450,000 to pay for drainage in the city, and we’re glad to do that. We’ve written the check, and it should be in the hands of the city.”
Mayor Keith Gaskin was philosophical Monday afternoon about the decision.
“I understand when they have to do something like that, but what I’m really pleased about is we are doing better with building partnerships with them,” Gaskin said. “I know they know we’re also up for another $3 million, and so it’s understandable.”
Vice Mayor and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens was less pleased.
“I know we didn’t get it in writing, but they committed to do it and this doesn’t speak well of the board of supervisors,” Mickens said. “… For them to renege, it’s going to leave a bad taste.”
ARPA funds are required to be committed by the end of 2024, and projects must be complete by the end of 2026.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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