ByLauren Sausser
The federal government is offering money, but the town isn’t sure it wants the dough.
That’s because a handful of residents say there’s no such thing as a free lunch -- or a free hand-out from the federal government.
More than one person spoke out against a $22,372.50 federal grant at a Weare Board of Selectmen meeting recently. It is a second installment of federal money the town has qualified to cover cleanup costs associated with last December’s ice storm.
But Jim Leary, a local business owner, said the cleanup is over and the town shouldn’t accept the money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“If we don’t need to go to the FEMA well … then we shouldn’t have our hands out for it,” Leary said. “I see a lot of money being wasted. It’s all coming out of our pockets. We pay into the FEMA fund, too. It doesn’t just magically appear.”
Selectmen delayed action on the item because Chairman Tom Clow said Selectman Keith Lacasse, who was not present, requested to postpone the vote until he could lay out his opposition to the grant.
Public Works Director Carl Knapp argued the selectmen should vote to accept the money because the government is merely reimbursing the town for dollars already spent.
He said the separate $38,000 FEMA grant the town accepted earlier this year was used to cover the costs of a wood chipper that aided his department with tree cleanup after the storm.
Chairman Clow explained that the second grant, if accepted by the board, could not be spent arbitrarily and likely would be used to help offset the local tax rate later this year. “It will be treated as revenue,” Clow said. “It’s not money that we can just spend, but it’s there (in the general fund).”
Johnna Grzywacz, also a Weare resident, asked questions about how the money would be used if the grant is accepted. She said she is not convinced it’s money the town needs.
“We need to protect our tax money and we need to ask questions,” Grzywacz said. “I used to be a person who took for granted the authority of the government was the authority. But we are the authority. I want to give some thought to what it means to accept this grant.”
The federal government is offering money, but the town isn’t sure it wants the dough.
That’s because a handful of residents say there’s no such thing as a free lunch -- or a free hand-out from the federal government.
More than one person spoke out against a $22,372.50 federal grant at a Weare Board of Selectmen meeting recently. It is a second installment of federal money the town has qualified to cover cleanup costs associated with last December’s ice storm.
But Jim Leary, a local business owner, said the cleanup is over and the town shouldn’t accept the money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“If we don’t need to go to the FEMA well … then we shouldn’t have our hands out for it,” Leary said. “I see a lot of money being wasted. It’s all coming out of our pockets. We pay into the FEMA fund, too. It doesn’t just magically appear.”
Selectmen delayed action on the item because Chairman Tom Clow said Selectman Keith Lacasse, who was not present, requested to postpone the vote until he could lay out his opposition to the grant.
Public Works Director Carl Knapp argued the selectmen should vote to accept the money because the government is merely reimbursing the town for dollars already spent.
He said the separate $38,000 FEMA grant the town accepted earlier this year was used to cover the costs of a wood chipper that aided his department with tree cleanup after the storm.
Chairman Clow explained that the second grant, if accepted by the board, could not be spent arbitrarily and likely would be used to help offset the local tax rate later this year. “It will be treated as revenue,” Clow said. “It’s not money that we can just spend, but it’s there (in the general fund).”
Johnna Grzywacz, also a Weare resident, asked questions about how the money would be used if the grant is accepted. She said she is not convinced it’s money the town needs.
“We need to protect our tax money and we need to ask questions,” Grzywacz said. “I used to be a person who took for granted the authority of the government was the authority. But we are the authority. I want to give some thought to what it means to accept this grant.”