A proposal has been announced, on how Lima will be looking to spend the $26.3 million they got from the American Rescue Plan.
This past spring, the city administration held Community Engagement Meetings, conducted online surveys and took email recommendations from citizens and business leaders about where they would like to see that money go. Monday night, Mayor Sharetta Smith presented the data and the proposed plan to Lima City Council. Some of the areas in the proposal include $1.5 million for the demolition of blighted homes, over $3 million to improve housing, $6 million for job creation and economic development, and $7 million to help with revenue recovery for Lima's operation budget.
“Council seems to be pleased with the proposed plan,” says Mayor Smith. “We will work through the proposed details of each plan and about how individuals can apply and reveal that over the next coming weeks. I do suspect that council will set a hearing at some time to go over in detail about when and how we will spend those dollars. But I am well pleased of the community turnout, and it looks like we are going to be able to leverage these dollars to make some real investments into our community that will last over generations.”
Council also gave a Resolution of Appreciation to the Lima Municipal Clerk of Courts Jim Link for his work when he took office in uncovering the theft of over $300,000 from the clerk’s office that happened over 15 year period, and finding another $300,000 that was collected but not distributed. He and his staff are tracking down thousands of people and giving them the money that they were owed through the courts.
