Seminole leaders weigh options for relief money

Broadband, business relief, extra bonus for taxpayers all floated

With Seminole County set to receive $92.5 million from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act, officials have floated wide-ranging options for how to spend it, such as providing mortgage assistance, giving relief to small businesses, building senior community centers, expanding sports facilities, or providing broadband Internet access to rural areas.

But at least three Seminole commissioners also have suggested returning a portion of the funds — either to the government, or to taxpayers directly.

“At the end of the day, I would also like us to really look at: Do we really need all this money, and whether it should go back,” Commissioner Jay Zembower said at a meeting this week. “And what are the options if we send it back?”

Commissioner Amy Lockhart said she would support delivering any of the unused federal money directly to residents.

“Along the lines of sending it back, I mean back would be back to the taxpayers, because it’s their money,” Lockhart said. “So rather than sending it back to the federal government for them to spend in some way that may or may not be appropriate for our citizens — if we’re getting into that conversation — I would be supportive of giving Seminole County citizens some of their money back directly to them.”

Commissioner

Bob

Dallari then added that “giving the money back [to citizens] is always an option” and that he would “definitely entertain that.”

The $2.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, will send about $846 million into Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties, and 33 cities and towns in those counties. Orange, for example, is expected to receive $270.3 million, while Osceola anticipates nearly $73 million and Lake about $71.2

million.

Local governments will receive the first half of their allotments in mid-May and the second half a year later. The funds must be spent by Dec. 31, 2024.

Although, the law is unclear on any process for a county or city to return unused funds, a federal official said local governments can “wire it to the U.S. Treasury Department,” if that’s their wish.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, sent a letter this month to governors and mayors across the country urging them to return any federal funding not tied to COVID-19 expenses to “avoid wasting scarce tax dollars.”

However, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Democrat whose district includes Seminole County, blasted the Seminole commissioners, all Republicans, who entertained returning federal funds rather than using them to help residents during a crisis.

“Instead of choosing politics, these commissioners should use federal funds I helped secure to help

struggling families, small businesses and non-profit organizations in Seminole County to recover from the devastating health and economic impacts of this pandemic,” Murphy said in an email.

In Orange County, Mayor Jerry Demings said Thursday there are too many needs for pandemic relief in his county to consider returning any of the funds.

“We never want to give money back,” he said. “So these dollars are likely going to be used to assist individuals, families, small businesses and social service providers in our community to assist us with our recovery efforts and to make sure that we don’t push people to the point where they become homeless.”

He added that his staff is still awaiting the “final, specific instructions from the U.S. Treasury Department on the criteria for expending the funds.”

Officials in Osceola and Lake said they too were still studying the spending requirements of the Act before laying out a spending plan. “We need to still wait and see,” said Mark Pino, a spokesman for Osceola County.

But officials in

Osceola

and Lake said that there have not yet been suggestions from their elected leaders to return any of the relief money.

In Seminole, Zembower suggested a portion of the funds could be used to build senior community centers in Seminole, “of which we have pretty much none.”

He added that many residents in his district, which includes the rural east side, lack broadband access to the Internet, and he asked if the money could be used for expanding that infrastructure.

Commissioner Andria Herr agreed. “Broadband expansion certainly changes the life of a child in today’s day and age in education. I think that’s important,” she said. “I would suggest that we start thinking about improving the health and well being of the members of our community in some meaningful way.”

Dallari suggested the money could be used to attract visitors to Seminole.

“The issue with tourism is that we ought to try to bring it back as soon as possible,” Dallari said. “Because if we do that, that actually helps out our economy as a whole, not just the hoteliers, but the restaurants, and the convenience

stores. It’s a big trickle-down effect.”

According to the Act, the funds can be used for a “very broad” array of projects, including investments in water and sewer infrastructure, along with mortgage and rental assistance, Seminole officials said.

County Attorney Bryant Applegate said Seminole is taking a hard look at the criteria.

“I read the act a couple of times… and it’s staggering the amount of money that will be spent on things that you just shake your head on that have nothing to do with COVID,” he said, adding “there’s going to be a great deal of work involved in” researching how the money can be spent.

At a public meeting on April 13, Seminole commissioners are scheduled to discuss in greater detail how the county should spend the funds and plan to compile a draft list of projects.

“To me, I want to make sure that wherever we spend that money it’s important… that we’re getting the biggest bang for the buck to bring this community back quicker,” Dallari said.