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DEAR EDITOR:
I feel compelled to speak out following the revelations from this week's workshop. Commissioner Tony Bernard raised an issue that many of us have quietly wondered about: Was there a misuse of ARPA funds, and were those funds used for political gain?
Commissioner Bernard's comments pointed to troubling possibilities regarding how ARPA money was handled specifically hinting that Commissioner Malloy may have used the funds to play politics instead of prioritizing the county's true needs. If this is even partially accurate, we deserve answers.
During the time ARPA funds were being handed out generously, almost like a ticker tape parade, we should have seen a surplus in the general fund. After all, if federal relief money was covering major projects and needs, the general fund should have been preserved or even grown. The county is now possibly facing a fiscal emergency with lay offs and cut backs looming in the air. So the question remains: Where did our general funds go during this period? What were they being used for?
Transparency and accountability are the bedrock of good governance. The people of Trumbull County work hard, pay taxes, and expect that our money whether from the federal government or local sources is being used wisely and honestly. If funds were mismanaged or diverted for political purposes or to sway votes, that's not just a lapse in judgment. It's a betrayal of public trust.
We need a full accounting of how both ARPA and general funds were spent, and we need it now.
Citizens should be very wary of any public official who pushes back against someone trying to discuss transparency. Commissioner Malloy's comments in response to Commissioner Bernard seemed like he wanted him to just be quiet in hopes no one would notice and start asking questions. Even in his statement today regarding the settlement where he rebuked Frenchko's staunch stance to the adherence of Sunshine Laws should raise some red flags. His comments denouncing public watchdogs are alarming.
JOAN GUERRA
Niles