Grant money to county for Point Blank about recycling
Editor, The Sun:
I have heard from several citizens who believe tax payers money should not be used with private business ventures. This is my answer to that concern.
Believe it or not, I do share your position that Government should not be using taxpayer money to benefit private businesses. In this scenario, that position is difficult to hold rigidly, for this reason. Wakulla was included by State Statute in the group of 8 disproportionately affected counties, relative to the BP oil spill. This put Wakulla in the unique position of being the recipient of a proportionate share of $1.5 billion. The statute specifies that we do not just receive the funds to use as we wish. It has a very narrow scope of how we request the funds and specifically what they can be used for. The statutory intent for these funds is to encourage jobs. These funds that are currently held by Gulf Triumph are the citizens funds, but they are not funds that were received from taxpayers. They are funds that were received from a private business with a specific requirement that they be distributed in a manner that encourages new jobs in the private business sector. If I rigidly hold the position that the citizens’ money should not be used in this manner that would mean Wakulla simply misses out on our proportionate share as specified in State law. Such a position would not send that money to taxpayers, nor would it reduce anyone’s tax burden. Those funds would be distributed to other Counties and benefit the citizens of those counties. In my opinion, it would be irresponsible for us to forgo those funds and miss this opportunity that only 8 of 67 counties have available to us. I understand the concern that some have regarding the use of these funds. It is my hope that this explanation helps clarify why approving this contract with Point Blank was the best decision for our County. Is there risk in this decision? There is definitely risk but we are very fortunate to have had the cooperation and hard work of a team of dedicated professionals, County Staff and Business Community volunteers who delivered a world class contract that addresses the risks and mitigates it for the best possible outcome for the citizens of Wakulla County. I am very proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of this decision from the initial conversations through the signing of the contract. I can’t wait for the groundbreaking to begin and the project starts to come to life. I’m confident, in time, this will be a tremendous win for our County. I am hopeful that those who don’t support the project today will one day be able to acknowledge that it was a great decision after all.
Thank you for your questions and for allowing me the opportunity to explain my position on this project. Have a great day and may God always bless Wakulla County.
Ralph Thomas
Chair, Wakulla County Commission