Hamilton County Mayor Wamp Proposes Reallocation Of Federal Relief Funds To Different County Projects
Image Credit: HamiltonCountyTN / YouTube
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
County Mayor Weston Wamp has proposed swapping $3 million in federal COVID relief funds for immediate projects around the county.
His proposal received immediate backlash from county commissioners.
$53 million had been allocated to the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority. Wamp suggested taking $3 million from those funds. The $3 million was specifically allotted for sewer upgrades that he claimed were “years away”.
District 7 Commissioner Lee Helton, whose district would be receiving $500,000 in lights for baseball and softball fields at East Hamilton High, was in full support of the proposal.
$200,000 in designated funds was also to be allocated for community park improvements, $200,000 for property to build a volunteer fire station, and additional money for 25 miles of road reflectors.
District 6 Commissioner David Sharpe said that the county would be “clawing back” on prior commitments, which he stated to be bad business and “half-baked”.
Addressing whether the federal funds should be used for Middle Valley upgrades, District 11 Commissioner Graham said, “The $3 million in federal COVID funds is free with no match. You can’t get any cheaper than free.”
County Mayor Wamp said the $70 million in COVID funding had been previously allocated before he was in office, and he questioned the validity of the division of the funds.
The following projects are in the resolution to move the $3 million from the WWTA, and the commission will meet next Wednesday concerning them:
- $250,000 to Clinica Medicos (capital contribution for expansion)
- La Paz (workforce development, entrepreneurial support)
- $500,000 to East Hamilton HS Baseball and Softball lights
- $500,000 Community Park Maintenance
- $200,000 Community Development
- $500,000 Highway Marker Program
- $500,000 East Ridge Animal Shelter
- $200,000 Signal Mountain MS/HS Road Upgrades
- $150,000 Highway 58 VFD Fire Hall (land acquisition) $200,000
This list of projects totals the $3,000,000 requested by Mayor Wamp.
