How should Johnson City spend $13.4 million?
That’s the total in one-time relief money the city expects to receive through the American Rescue Plan Act, a COVID-19 stimulus package passed by the federal government earlier this year. The city received half of that total, $6.7 million, in May and will receive the remaining half next May.
kAmr:EJ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD >6E %9FCD52J E@ 5:D4FDD A@DD:3=6 FD6D 7@C E92E >@?6J 2?5 C6G:6H65 4FCC6?E AC:@C:E:6D =:DE65 :? E96 4:EJ’D 42A:E2= :>AC@G6>6?E AC@8C2>[ 2 7:G6\J62C A=2? E92E :56?E:7:6D 42A:E2= AC@;64ED 2?5 6BF:A>6?E AFC492D6D]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ 6J65 D6G6C2= @E96C A@E6?E:2= ?665D[ DF49 2D C6A=24:?8 9@FD:?8 7@C C6D:56?ED @7 E96 y@9? $6G:6C r6?E6C[ 6IE6?5:?8 3C@2532?5[ 255:?8 4@?E:?86?4:6D 7@C E96 (6DE (2=?FE $EC66E AC@;64E @C @E96C FD6D]k^Am
kAmqJ 7656C2= =2H[ E96 4:EJ :D C6DEC:4E65 @? 9@H :E 42? FD6 E92E S`b]c >:==:@?[ 3FE 4:E:6D 42? 2=D@ FD6 E96:C 2==@E>6?E E@ @77D6E =@DE C6G6?F6] x? 42=6?52C J62C a_a_[ y@9?D@? r:EJ 42=4F=2E65 E92E :E 925 6IA6C:6?465 23@FE Sh]a >:==:@? H@CE9 @7 =@DE C6G6?F6[ H9:49 H:== 2==@H E96 4:EJ E@ FD6 FA E@ E92E 2>@F?E @7 :ED 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 H:E9@FE C6DEC:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmpE E96 6?5 @7 E96 a_a` 42=6?52C J62C[ E96 4:EJ H:== 282:? 42=4F=2E6 =@DE C6G6?F6D E@ 56E6C>:?6 :7 2?J @7 E96 C6>2:?:?8 S`b]c >:==:@? 2==@42E:@? 42? 36 DA6?E :? E96 D2>6 72D9:@?]k^Am
kAmr:EJ |2?286C !6E6 !6E6CD@? 9@A6D y@9?D@? r:EJ H:== FD6 E92E >@?6J 7@C “EC2?D7@C>2E:@?2=” AC@;64ED — D@>6E9:?8 E92E H:== DF3DE2?E:2==J :>AC@G6 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 7@C 4:EJ C6D:56?ED]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 7F?5:?8 :D @?=J 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6? @?46[” !6E6CD@? D2:5] “x E9:?< :E’D :>A6C2E:G6 E92E E9:D >@?6J 36 DA6?E @? 2 @?6\E:>6 6IA6?D6 2?5 ?@E 2 C64FCC:?8 6IA6?D6]”k^Am
kAmu@C 6I2>A=6[ 7F?5:?8 =2C86 D42=6 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8 2?5 :?G6DE:?8 :? C@25 AC@;64ED 4@F=5 36 H@CE9J 4@?D:56C2E:@?D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96 E9:?8D H6 ?665 E@ 2G@:5 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 42A:E2= 6BF:A>6?E @C D>2== 42A:E2= AC@;64ED E92E H6 ?@C>2==J 5@ :? @FC @A6C2E:?8 3F586E[” !6E6CD@? D2:5] “(6 ?665 E@ :?G6DE :?E@ AC@;64ED E92E H@F=5 36 6IEC6>6=J 5:77:4F=E 7@C FD E@ 5@ H:E9@FE E9:D >@?6J]”k^Am
kAm%96 r:EJ r@>>:DD:@?[ !6E6CD@? D2:5[ H:== F=E:>2E6=J >2<6 E96 564:D:@? 23@FE E96 FD6 @7 E92E >@?6J]k^Am
kAm|2J@C y@6 (:D6 D2:5 uC:52J 96’D DE:== 6G2=F2E:?8 9@H E@ 36DE FD6 E96 7F?5:?8] %96 >66E:?8 %9FCD52J[ 96 D2:5[ D6CG65 2D 2? 6IEC6>6=J 3C@25 @G6CG:6H @7 E96 A@DD:3:=:E:6D]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 D:8?:7:42?E @AA@CEF?:EJ 2?5 2? :>A@CE2?E 49@:46 @C :>A@CE2?E 49@:46D[” 96 D2:5] “x E9:?< H6’C6 ;FDE 2E E96 G6CJ 368:??:?8 @7 E92E 4@?G6CD2E:@?]”k^Am
kAmw6 28C66D H:E9 !6E6CD@?’D A@:?E E92E E96 4:EJ D9@F=5 FD6 E96 >@?6J @? AC@;64ED E92E H@F=5 92G6 >62?:?87F= 2?5 =2DE:?8 :>A24ED @? y@9?D@? r:EJ]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D ?@E 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? E92E :D BF:4<=J C6D@=G65[” (:D6 D2:5] “%9:D :D 2 D:8?:7:42?E @AA@CEF?:EJ 2?5 :E H2CC2?ED D:8?:7:42?E 56=:36C2E:@?]”k^Am
kAm':46 |2J@C %@55 u@H=6C D2:5 E96 4:EJ D9@F=5 FD6 D@>6 @7 :ED DE:>F=FD >@?6J E@ 96=A 4@G6C E96 4@DE @7 C6A=246>6?E 9@FD:?8 7@C C6D:56?ED @7 E96 y@9? $6G:6C r6?E6C[ 2 DF3D:5:K65 9@FD:?8 4@>A=6I :? 5@H?E@H? y@9?D@? r:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 y@9?D@? r:EJ s6G6=@A>6?E pFE9@C:EJ 3@F89E E96 AC@A6CEJ :? a_`h H:E9 A=2?D E@ >@G6 E6?2?ED E@ ?6H 9@FD:?8 2?5 C656G6=@A E96 3F:=5:?8]k^Am
kAm{w! r2A:E2=[ 2 C62= 6DE2E6 56G6=@A>6?E 7:C>[ 92D DF3>:EE65 2 AC@A@D2= E@ 3F:=5 23@FE `cd F?:ED @7 C6A=246>6?E 9@FD:?8 7@C E96 724:=:EJ’D C6D:56?ED] %96C6’D 4FCC6?E=J[ 9@H6G6C[ 2 C@F89=J Sc >:==:@? E@ Se >:==:@? 7F?5:?8 82A]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E92E’D E96 9:896DE 2?5 36DE FD6 ]]] E@ >2<6 2 EC2?D7@C>2E:@?2= 67764E[” u@H=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm!6E6CD@? E@=5 4@>>:DD:@?6CD %9FCD52J E96 y@9? $6G:6C r6?E6C :D E96 =2DE A:646 @7 E96 AFKK=6 7@C E96 4@>A=6E6 C6G:E2=:K2E:@? @7 5@H?E@H? y@9?D@? r:EJ]k^Am
kAm“x? @C56C E@ 86E E92E E@ H@C<[ E@ 5@ E96 C6A=246>6?E 9@FD:?8 :D 8@:?8 E@ C6BF:C6 D@>6 2DD:DE2?46 7C@> E96 4:EJ :? D@>6 7@C> ]]] @C 2?@E96C[” !6E6CD@? D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 25565 E96 4:EJ >2J 2=D@ ?665 E@ :?46?E:G:K6 2 56G6=@A6C — >2J36 E9C@F89 2 42D9 8C2?E @C 2 A2J>6?E\:?\=:6F\@7\E2I6D 28C66>6?E — E@ C656G6=@A E96 y@9? $6G:6C r6?E6C :ED6=7]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D 2 @?6\E:>6 92AA6?:?8[ 2?5 :E’D <:?5 @7 E96 42ADE@?6 @7 J@FC 5@H?E@H? C6G:E2=:K2E:@?[” !6E6CD@? D2:5] “%9:D :D @?6\:?\E96\9:DE@CJ\@7\E96\62CE9 7F?5:?8] %92E’D AC@323=J 2 8C62E A=246 E@ DA6?5 E9:D >@?6J]”k^Am