Towns, counties will win big in COVID “rescue plan”

by Dan McClelland

As part of the federal government’s new $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill that passed last week towns and counties across the country will see windfalls in economic aid.

What has been dubbed in Washington, D.C. as “the American Rescue Plan” will see Franklin County get $9.7 million in aid in upcoming weeks and another $5 million will be shared by towns in this county.

The Town of Tupper Lake is expected to see an unexpected bonus this year of $630,000- behind Malone which will get $1.54 million and Harrietstown, due to receive $600,000. A story about the assistance for counties and towns was published in daily newspapers last week.

The coming windfall for Tupper Lake was discussed briefly by happy town leaders, when Councilman John Quinn raised it at the close of Thursday's town board meeting.

“The news came as a total surprise to me. I’m sure we’ll have a million people with a million ideas on how to spend it,” he told his fellow board members that evening.”

“I think in coming months we’ll want to be talking about some specifics,” he suggested.

“I already had a call about it today, and what we were going to do with it,” Councilman Mike Dechene told him.

“Maybe buy a bunch of lottery tickets?” joked Mr. Quinn.

Supervisor Patti Littlefield said there are some details still up in the air. One unknown, she said, is whether or not that $630,000 will go directly to the town, or will some of it go to the village.”

Apparently a funding formula for villages has not yet been released.

The supervisor said she participated in a conference call with New York Senator Chuck Schumer that afternoon announcing all the municipal recipients of the stimulus bill in this state.

Councilman Mike Dechene asked the supervisor if there has been information released from the federal government about how the money must be used.

“My understanding is local governments can’t use it to reduce property taxes,” she told him, adding that wasn’t detailed in the briefing by Sen. Schumer.

She said they were using 2019 U.S. Census data “to determine populations eligible for assistance” under the relief bill.

“The projected amounts may be distributed to more non-entitlement governments than are listed in the break-down to the extent that eligible non-entitlement governments with over-lapping populations,” she said reading from a document she received from Sen. Schumer’s office.

She anticipated the Town of Tupper Lake will receive “some sort of formal notification from the state” soon.

“Potentially very good news,” John Quinn called it.

“We could make a list of priorities and once we learn what we need and what we can use it for, how it will be received and how long we have to use it and if there’s any strings attached,” we can go forward with it, the supervisor recommended. “There’s so many unknowns, as it all just happened so quickly.!”

Mr. Quinn said it was unfortunate the federal money can’t be used to reduce taxes.

Mrs. Littlefield said there were a number of town buildings that could use repairs and town programs that could benefit from federal funds.

“The Tupper Lake Business Group is doing a good job making recommendations for recreational improvements to the town and what it thinks will be good for the town.” She indicated she expected that group may look for some of this new money to help accomplish some of its goals in the first phase of its plan.

She said the town has completed master plans for town-owned properties like the golf course, the lower parcel at the Rod and Gun Club and at Little Wolf Beach and Campgrounds. “We’ve been waiting for grants and other funding opportunities” to tackle some of those projects.

With the town hall entrance addition completed there are other buildings owned by the town which could be improved, she suggested. “There’s always something to do when you have buildings.”

She predicted it won’t be hard to find uses for the new money. “We all know $600,000 doesn’t go far” for local governments.

“We’re thankful for it and look forward to learning all the details.”