The Village of Potomac and Vermilion County’s Juvenile Detention Center will be receiving some of the federal COVID relief money the county is receiving. County Board Chairman Larry Baughn says Potomac will receive just over $91-thousand dollars for a water meter replacement project…
{AUDIO: ‘’They’ve used their ARPA Funds. They’ve used some loan forgiveness, and they were just short. And where do they make that money up? – Well, they’re going to have to pass it along to their residents in water rate hikes. And so, I think as a county board as a whole, we would rather not see that happen to our residents. So if we can help them pay off that project – and not pass it along to their residents – I think it’s a win-win for everybody.’’}
The Danville Public Building Commission will receive $100-thousand dollars from the county’s COVID relief funds for new cameras and locks at the Vermilion County Juvenile Detention Center.
County Board member Jerry Hawker says he supports both projects but disagrees with the fact that COVID relief money is being spent without an opportunity for all board members to vote on it.
Only the seven members on the finance committee voted to approve the payments. ‘’It needs to be appropriated by the (full) Board,’’ said Hawker. ‘’You’re cutting out up to 20 board members,’’ added Hawker at a Finance Committee meeting last evening (Monday).
Board chairman Larry Baughn noted the full board earlier approved a resolution authorizing spending to a certain limit….
{AUDIO: ‘’Right now, Bill, I have the authority to spend up to $75,000 because that’s what the general County Board rules are here, and always have been since I’ve been around. But anything over that we bring to the committee, and that’s what we did tonight. I think that’s what kind of opened the door to the discussion. The discussion was good, and again, if the board wants to revisit that we’ll be happy to entertain it.’’}
Baughn says the county has already received $7.3 million dollars in federal COVID relief money, and is expecting another $7.4 million dollar payment later this year.
