Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington County commissioners discuss FY2023 budget priorities and ARPA spending
Summary
At a Jan. 24 budget work session, the Washington County Board of Commissioners agreed to continue a county discount program and keep the Special Drainage/Watershed Improvement Tax; they debated uses for about $2.4 million in ARPA funds and discussed a potential new 911/public safety facility and a small-business incubator.
The Washington County Board of Commissioners met in a recessed session on Jan. 24, 2022, and spent the meeting reviewing priorities for the FY2023 budget and seeking direction on federal COVID-19 relief funds. Chair Tracey A. Johnson convened the meeting at 6:00 PM in the Commissioners Room in Plymouth; County Manager and County Attorney Curtis Potter led the budget workshop.
Potter told the board that “the normal Finance Report was not attached due to a glitch in the software,” then reviewed the FY2023 Budget Workshop agenda and several specific items. The board reached a consensus to continue the county’s existing Discount Program and to retain the Special Drainage/Watershed Improvement Tax; no formal motion on those consensus items was recorded in the minutes.
The session also covered public-safety facility planning. Potter described a field trip to Duplin County — and possibly Currituck County — to examine airport-based public safety facilities and said one question is whether to include a new 911 center in a proposed public safety facility. Commissioner Ann C. Keyes advised the board to pursue a 911 grant; Potter cautioned that the county’s previous decision to decline consolidation of 911 “may be held against us” in grant applications.
Potter said he will meet with Tom Harrison to explore a small-business “incubator” for the county. The board discussed capital improvement plan items and Potter asked for guidance on how to allocate approximately $2.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds the county has received. Commissioner William R. “Bill” Sexton asked about the proposed location of a helicopter pad; Keyes said the pad would be in Creswell.
The meeting record shows no final decisions directing staff to specific projects for the ARPA funds; Potter’s request for guidance indicates staff will return with recommended options for the board to consider.
