The abundance of people who spend money on lottery tickets all dream that someday they will be the one to hit it big. Imagine what it would be like to win a million dollars! All your problems would be over, right? According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one-third of all lottery winners will declare bankruptcy within a few years of their windfall. The lesson here is that when money comes around, it needs to be used wisely, or it will soon be done and gone with little to show for it.
The $22 million America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated to Lycoming County could be a tremendous boost to our region or a lottery winner belly-up failure. It would be interesting to track the $130 billion for municipalities and counties nationally that has been allocated from the $1.9 trillion (!) ARPA spending bill. Though it seems like it would be a dream come true, these government entities are discovering what lottery winners must deal with. Relatives you never knew you had come banging at your door. Everyone you know suddenly has a need that your newfound money would fix. Nothing makes fair-weather friends faster than giving away money.
To the credit of the Lycoming County Board of Commissioners, they knew they had a hot potato in their hands and decided to let it cool down a bit. They began in June of last year by first discussing funding needs with the Williamsport City Council and the township and borough officials in the county. They spent three nights meeting, discussing their strategic plans with them.
These talks were important as they were not just considering various funding projects but also sought how the money could be leveraged by linking various government entities’ projects or concerns together.
These were not just brainstorm sessions either, because the commissioners made a pact together that they were going to invest these funds into projects that would have an immediate impact, yet at the same time could be “generational.” This could be described as “helpful now and at the same time building for tomorrow.” It is a difficult bar to reach, but it is the wisest approach when winning the lottery.
With those parameters in mind, they went from local officials to the various authorities, particularly water and sewer. Some of these systems are in dire need of repair and servicing, and these funds would meet the ‘now & tomorrow’ focus that the commissioners are seeking to meet. They also met with developers and realtors who expressed to them that when they are exploring where to build new homes and apartments, access to water and sewer is critical. If they must develop a property without these utilities and thus have to provide water and sewer themselves, they cut their profit margin so small that it is not worth the effort. The seriousness of this is evident as currently, there are only 175 homes for sale in Lycoming County when the average is generally 600.
The commissioners are also discussing with farmers what their concerns are and what they foresee as their challenges down the country road. One is broadband, as even modern agricultural equipment is more and more dependent on internet access. Rural areas are desperate for better connectivity, and unfortunately, the technology is still expensive to make this vision come to pass.
It seems to this observer that the Lycoming County Commissioners Board has crossed every T and dotted every I, but the three commissioners want to ensure that everyone has a voice in this matter. Already, $52 million worth of requests have been submitted for the $22 million in grants, but there might yet be a need that could cut its way up to the front of the line.
To that end, the Lycoming County Commissioners are hosting a Town Hall Meeting at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, March 28th, at the Commissioners Meeting Room in the Executive Plaza, right behind the Lycoming County Courthouse. The public is invited to express their opinions and concerns. The final outcome could well become a future blueprint for the next decade and beyond for our county.
