The city of Columbus has been awarded a $1 million MDOT grant to improve pedestrian access along Fifth Street North, roughly between the Magnolia Bowl and Highway 82. One hitch: The city must complete its overdue 2020 audit before it can accept the funds.
If the audit isn’t completed in time for the city to accept the grant, it might not be the worst thing that could happen.
The grant requires 20 percent matching funds from the city, plus engineering fees, which means the city’s total cost would be $330,000 for a $1.2-million project. Seems like a bargain, right?
We certainly understand the lure of these matching grants, which seem to pop up every year or two.
Yet we are reminded of what the late U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen said in his opposition of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society spending programs in the 1960s:
“A billion here, a billion there and pretty soon it adds up to real money.”
That same observation holds true for Columbus: $100,000 here, a few $100,000 there and it represents a problem for a city whose finances remain murky.
The roundabout built near Harvey’s is another project funded by an 80/20 MDOT grant. The city paid $160,000 for its part of that project. There have been numerous others.
This latest grant would install sidewalks and medians, which will make pedestrian traffic safer and serve to slow down vehicles as they approach downtown Columbus. The stretch of Fifth Street is an important entrance to downtown and to the Burns Bottom redevelopment area.
Improving the aesthetics and functionality of that road would greatly benefit the city.
If we could afford the match.
Poor bookkeeping over the past several years — not to mention embezzlement by a former CFO — has left the city’s books in disarray.
Additionally, there already exists a backlog of items the city wants to pay for but can’t afford.
When the city completed its current budget, it was forced to take out $235,000 for new digital radios for the police department and $160,000 for SCUBA units for the fire department.
The city also wants to increase its pay for city employees, including major raises for police officers. It wants to hire more police officers as well.
The city’s COVID relief (ARPA) consultant has also earmarked more than $100 million worth of projects for councilmen to consider.
Add all of that up and you get a city digging itself deeper into a hole.
Unless the city’s accumulated use tax funds (internet sales tax) or ARPA funds can be dedicated to cover the $330,000 tab, letting this grant slip through our fingers might be a blessing in disguise.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.