County supervisors discuss COVID-19 funding
Five elected supervisors that lead Tuolumne County government want to spend a portion of $5.3 million of federal COVID relief funds on helping the Sheriff’s Office rectify extensive payroll, staffing, and retention issues, and they’ve directed county staff to come back with a detailed plan on how to spend or save the rest.
The $5.3 million is half the $10.6 million the county will receive in federal American Rescue Plan Act stimulus funding, which Tuolumne County staff call ARPA funding. Three supervisors had short lists for what they would spend on. Two supervisors prepared detailed, itemized lists for how they would spend ARPA funding.
Anaiah Kirk, the District 3 supervisor, said Tuesday he is willing to fund critical positions for the Sheriff’s Office from the ARPA funding.
Kathleen Haff, the District 4 supervisor, said she is willing to consider using ARPA funding for county employee salaries. She said she favors setting aside $1 million of ARPA funding on Relief Across Downtown cards, a matching fund debit card program called RAD cards for short, intended to help local residents and local businesses recover.
Haff said she would also like to spend $250,000 of ARPA funding for code enforcement, especially when it comes to the county’s existing hazardous vegetation code.
Haff said she would also spend $1 million in ARPA funding on a new fire engine for the county fire department, and she would offer a $1 million loan for county Health and Human Services to move out of rented properties into countyowned property.
Haff said she would also spend $30,000 to $35,000 of ARPA funding on geographic information systems upgrades, and $250,000 on matching funds for broad
band internet infrastructure.
David Goldemberg, the District 1 supervisor, said Sheriff’s Office recruitment of new staff is critical, and retention of existing staff is a real concern.
“We shouldn’t be in a rush to spend the funds,” Goldemberg said. “But we do need to address the issues. We need to fix the sheriff’s department.”
Jaron Brandon, the District 5 supervisor, came to the Tuesday meeting with an itemized list, and he stuck to that list when he summarized his preferences on how to spend the $5.3 million in ARPA funding.
Brandon said he’d spend $2.65 million, half the ARPA funding total, on public safety, including $1.6 million on a fire engine, $350,000 on Columbia Fire Protection District, $850,000 for the Sheriff’s Office for future bargaining, and $75,0000 on upgrading the county Emergency Operations Center.
Brandon would also spend $1.59 million on programs he described as public relief, including $530,000 on RAD cards, and $500,000 on a revolving business loan fund. Brandon proposed spending all $5.3 million, holding none of the ARPA funding in reserve.
Ryan Campbell, the District 2 supervisor and board chair, said he is willing to consider use of ARPA funding to raise salaries at the Sheriff’s Office.
“I want to thank the sheriff for articulating the problems with law enforcement,” Campbell said. “It’s easy to say that you support law enforcement. Our job is to find how to pay for these services in our community.”
Campbell said he would also consider spending $1 million on the RAD cards program, $500,000 on volunteer programs, and $30,000 to $35,000 on GIS upgrades.
Campbell said he prefers to wait on spending $1 million of ARPA funding on a fire engine.
Earlier Tuesday, county staff summarized the ARPA funding. The county’s had $5.3 million for fiscal year 2020-21 since May, and it’s earned $6,700 in interest so far. County staff anticipate their government will get an additional $5.3 million in late 2021-22.
The Board of Supervisors does not have to immediately allocate all the ARPA funds. They do have to decide how to spend those funds and obligate to spending all the funds by Dec. 31, 2024, and all the funds must be spent by 2026, said Tracie Riggs, the county administrative officer.
Based on guidance from the federal Department of Treasury, Tuolumne County staff have determined the county’s entire allocation of $10,581,713 can be considered lost revenue. The money can’t be used to pay down pension liability funds, or to pay off internal debt or external debt, or to build up contingency funds, reserves, or rainy day funds.
County staff are now expected to present a draft plan on how to move forward with the county’s $5.3 million in ARPA funding at an Aug. 13 special board meeting. The draft plan is expected to eventually be approved, and incorporated into the county’s adopted budget on Sept. 21.