Voice of Westmoreland has asked for transparency and a comprehensive plan from the Westmoreland County commissioners for use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds since 2021. In a recent visit to Virginia, I reviewed the ARPA plan for the City of Richmond (see rva.gov/arp). The Virginia plan calls for approximately 73% of its $155 million grant to go to projects directly related to affordable housing, housing redevelopment, child care, family crisis, health care and public safety issues.
Westmoreland commissioners have yet to allocate 50% of these funds.
While some money was spent on water/sewage projects, park improvements, education and some housing redevelopment, only 3% has been proposed for 12 new emergency beds at a cost of $300,000/bed, to add to the 67 emergency beds in the county, an outrageous price for the number of beds proposed.
The commissioners are paying lip service to the needs of our community and using ARPA as a slush fund so taxes won’t be increased in an election year, doing just enough to get reelected while increasing their own salaries and pensions with funds that should be going to those most in need. They need to be held accountable for a dubious use of funds.
Elizabeth Veronica Weaver
Hempfield
The writer is a member of Voice of Westmoreland.