Northampton Council Meeting 6/3/2021 and 6/17/2021
Healthcare, COVID, Public Funds to Private Pockets
Northampton County City Council Meetings 6/3/2021 and 6/17/2021
In June 2021 the Northampton County council meetings primarily focused on discussing the ARM funds the country received and ultimately voting to approve the money. The vote was 9-0.
With that being said, how should Northampton County spend its $31 million in American Rescue funds or future funds from the federal goverment
?
County Executive Lamont McClure has some ideas. Speaking to County Council June 3, McClure requested the county spend the money on:
$15 million into small businesses
$5 million to non-profits
$1 million for police departments throughout the county (through Grow NorCo)
$1 million to the hotel tax grant (limit $100,000)
$1 million for broadband to help students that struggled with remote learning
$1 million in the EMS grants program
The remaining $6.9 million would be used to help the county address the pandemic and related hazard pay
While we could -- and should -- question some of the specific items on the list, it’s more important to take a broader view and challenge the McClure and the county council on the effectiveness of such spending.
For example, how do they quantify the need for giving money to small businesses? These businesses had a high turnover prior to the pandemic, so what does giving them this money do in terms of changing the turnover and how does it impact the community at all?
People have and will spend money on the services that small businesses provide so no matter what the county does they are not likely to go away. What does the money do to slow the takeover of large chains taking over (Dunkin Donuts, Taco Bell opened new stores during the pandemic)? Should the County even have a role in that?
Other items of note from the meeting:
Northampton County will partner with LVHN to host the county's first drive up vaccine clinic.
Northampton County senior centers are set to reopen to visitors on July 6.
Great point about the need to invest money in small businesses that support people comprehensively and provide for their futures, rather than large chains that typically provide multiple low wage jobs with no future.