In anticipation of a second payment under the American Rescue Plan (CARES ACT), Nile Township Trustees discussed how those funds could be used to most positively benefit the township’s citizens. The US Treasury has already carefully outlined how the money can be spent by any County, City, or Township in a document titled The Final Rule.
SCDN was contacted with concerns that the trustees of Nile Township may be conflicted regarding how to spend their future allocations. Staffing and equipment for fire and EMS were also raised as concerns. Our social media page displayed a graphic encouraging our trustees to “do the right thing”.
Matt Reiser, in his ninth year serving as a Nile Township Trustee, spoke extensively with SCDN about this issue. His remarks also touched on the first American Rescue Plan disbursement. His final point concerned how the confusion may have begun and how they are seeking guidance.
Here is his full public statement without retraction, editing, or any other editorial interjections.
The Board has made no decisions or plans on how to spend the American Rescue Act funds to date. We are awaiting the final guidance from the county prosecutor’s office in regards to allowable uses for the funds. The guidelines issued for the first COVID funding round were very strict and explicit regarding what the funds were allowed for, and we expect the same will be true for the second round.
In regards to the efforts to improve the fire department and emergency medical services, the township has been advancing in both areas. The fire department has recently added a newer brush truck and newer rescue truck to our fleet. The fire chief/township also pursued and was awarded a 140k+ grant for new air packs and related support equipment. The EMS department took delivery of a new squad in 2021 and we are planning to add additional shifts over the next few months to further increase our already robust paid staff coverage.
As with all townships, we are audited on a biennial basis through the State of Ohio Auditor’s office, maintain all proper bookkeeping practices, and approve all required expenditures in open public meetings. Our biennial audits have maintained an exceptional record for proper record keeping and use of funds.
Each township has to deal with this issue on a daily basis. Be good stewards of taxpayers’ money and keep the community safe. The comments and insight Matt Reiser provided are very helpful. They shed light on the importance of local government. The most intimate forms of government in Scioto County are the townships and their trustees. Their decisions can often be seen right from your kitchen window.
