St. Joseph County Council preparing for vote following Commissioner's veto of federal grant
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Pandemic recovery is continuing and one hot topic is building back the economy. Wednesday, the St. Joseph County Council is set to vote on both a federal grant and the overall 2022 County budget.
But, this is not their first time casting their ballots. The St. Joseph County Council previously voted in favor of both a $3 million federal grant for COVID-19 recovery and the overall 2022 County budget. However, the Board of Commissioners are asking for reconsideration.
Here is what the federal grant looks like:
The $3 million federal grant is to fight COVID-19 and other health problems, specifically within minority communities. The County Council voted in favor with a 2 to 1 vote.
The grant would be funded by the CDC and would go largely toward hiring 8 new health workers to do outreach within minority communities. It also will fund lead and high blood pressure screenings as well as vaccination sites.
But here is some Board of Commissioners cause for concern:
The language used in the grant includes ‘assisting the United States government’ regarding federal orders for COVID precautions. This is what sparked the veto from the Board of Commissioners.
Some Commissioners are saying that by accepting this grant money, it could lead to mask and vaccine mandates decided on by the federal government.
The council must decide by November 1st.