Chris Suggs: Let's talk about money
Councilmember Chris Suggs. Photo: Submitted by Chris Suggs.
On April 12, 2022, the Kinston City Council finalized its allocations of more than $6.3 Million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The major goals of the American Rescue Plan Act, championed by President Joe Biden and passed by Congress in 2021, were to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its negative economic impacts, support workers who provided essential services during the height of the pandemic, and make necessary investments in local infrastructure. These are important focus areas that, considering the toll this pandemic has taken on all aspects of our lives for the past two years, should definitely be prioritized by any government officials or decision makers.
Over the last year, the city council had already committed to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act for items such as premium pay for employees who worked during the height of the pandemic, a walk-in freezer for Grainger Stadium, and renovations to the historic pool at Holloway Recreation Center. We then received a presentation from City staff to use remaining funds on items such as police and fire vehicles, replacing the scoreboard at Grainger Stadium, server and software upgrades for the City, replacing the all-weather bubble for the swimming pool at Kinston Community Center, new portable radios for our police officers, and renovations at Emma Webb Park. Each of these requests ranged from $270,000 to $675,000 and would quickly expend the remainder of the money.
The items presented to us for consideration by our city staff are all much-needed investments that the council should be making, and, quite honestly, some that should’ve been made years ago. I had two grievances, though, with the haste that my colleagues on the council were moving in their decision to fund these items. One, I found it inappropriate that we were investing a bulk of this unprecedented relief funding toward vehicles, technology, and recreation enhancements, but absolutely none towards things that could directly benefit the folks most impacted by COVID-19—housing, economic relief, or food. And, secondly, we did little to engage the public in how these funds were spent, the council didn’t offer much feedback or direction on the proposal our staff prepared for us, and I strongly believe that had we voted on the proposal on the day we were scheduled to there would’ve been some members of the council who hadn’t thoroughly reviewed it yet.
Before we finalized all our allocations of the American Rescue Plan funds, I proposed to my colleagues on the Council that we set aside $500,000 to $1 million of that money to focus on community development efforts - particularly with a focus on our city’s housing and food insecurity issues and responding to the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the ideas I shared were developing ways to support our small businesses and local workforce that were hurt financially by the pandemic, investing in the development of new, energy efficient and affordable housing, and combating food insecurity by increasing access to fresh and healthy foods in East Kinston (the most economically distressed census tract in the entire state, and over a mile away from the nearest grocery store).
Out of that pot of $6.3 million, the council ended up deciding to increase its community development allocation from $35,000 to $100,000. While some may see this final allocation as a win, I see it as an example of the lack of careful thought and prioritization that can be found when decisions are made too quickly. There were some items that our staff shared could be purchased using other funds or financing options, or some that didn’t need to be made right away. There were some items we could’ve sought partnerships with other entities to help fund or sponsor, reducing the financial burden on the city. Had we given more careful thought and consideration, this could’ve alleviated some of the funds that we could use towards investment in our community - but the council decided not to explore those options.
We desperately need more affordable and energy-efficient housing, and there is no reason that residents in East Kinston should have to live in a food desert. The American Rescue Plan would’ve been an opportunity for us to address those issues—but for now, it seems like it will have to be a priority in the future. Additionally, I hope that my colleagues on the council will choose to give more thoughtful consideration and discussion to how we use our funds to ensure we’re having the greatest impact on our citizens with our limited resources.
Although there hasn’t been any public discussion regarding it, once again, there is an increase in pay for the mayor and members of the council being proposed in this year’s budget. This isn’t to say that the increase isn’t justified, my concern is that once again potentially controversial items are being presented in the budget that haven’t been formally discussed. Whether it’s the more than $100 million annual operating budget for the city, or a $6.3 million allocation from the federal government, each line item deserves thorough inspection and candid conversations about how they align with our priorities — especially one that has proven time and time again to ruffle feathers.
I’ve expressed my desire with the mayor and members of the council for us to have dedicated meeting time to talk about our city budget and finances, but aside from Councilwoman Felicia Solomon, the other members of our board haven’t shared that desire. In fact, most years the city will hold a budget retreat or strategic planning session to set its priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, but that won’t happen this year. Instead, we will hear brief budget presentations during our next regular meeting on May 17, before voting on the final $100+ million budget sometime before the new fiscal year starts on July 1.
I appreciate the calls, emails and messages from citizens who shared input about how we should use the American Rescue Plan funds. Please continue to reach out to me, as well as the mayor and other council members, with ideas and concerns about how our city operates.
Although it only takes one of us to get a conversation started, it takes at least three votes to make a decision.
