The United Way receives calls every month from people desperately in need of affordable housing options. Countless teens in our county don’t have a place to live. Mental health and drug treatment facilities are at a breaking point, and access to quality health care is sorely lacking.

These are just some of the real problems Westmoreland County residents face every single day. Allowing people to suffer while our county sits on $52 million of the American Rescue Plan funds with another $50 million on its way is reprehensible. Our commissioners have a moral responsibility to care for the needs of its residents.

It is the citizens’ duty to demand our commissioners Doug Chew, Gina Cerilli Thrasher and Sean Kertes agree to the County Community Planning and Advocacy Coalition as recommended by our local community leaders and Voice of Westmoreland. This coalition would bring commissioners, county stakeholders, safety net providers and those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic together to create a transparent, publicly accountable plan for fair and equitable use of the funds.

Time is of the essence. Do our commissioners have the honor and decency to do the right thing?

Aileen Cunningham

Youngstown

The writer is a member of Voice of Westmoreland.

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