The October 17 unanimous decision by the Buncombe County Commissioners to allocate nearly $4 million towards the Barnardsville Dillingham Creek Stream Restoration Project, while commendable for its environmental intent, has bypassed a critical step in the process of responsible governance: rigorous public scrutiny and debate.
When asked by the board chairman for comments on the proposed spending, the Commissioners did not delve into the necessity of allocating a substantial sum from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and an additional state grant for this project. At the heart of conservative values is the belief that public servants should scrutinize every dollar they spend to ensure that each dollar is treated with the utmost respect for its source—the taxpayer. We must ensure that these funds are only being used effectively, efficiently, and on projects deemed essential to the community’s well-being.
Inflationary pressures and the deficit-spending patterns of our current administration should make us even more vigilant. Why should COVID relief funds, intended to revitalize an economy battered by a global pandemic, be directed toward a creek restoration project without clear, public justification of its urgency or relevance to the pandemic’s economic impacts?
This unanimous approval, without batting an eye, is concerning. The Commissioners’ silence on the matter is deafening for those who listen to the whispers of fiscal responsibility. While environmental preservation and infrastructural resilience are vital, they do not exist in a vacuum. They must be balanced with economic prudence, particularly when the funds were sourced for pandemic relief.
The silence of our Commissioners raises questions. If we do not demand accountability and transparency in these decisions, we risk the erosion of not just our creek banks but the very foundations of local government accountability.
Taxpayers of Buncombe County deserve an explanation. We deserve assurances that our hard-earned money is only used thoughtfully – in ways that will directly benefit our community in these trying times, not on projects that – while potentially valuable – do not align with the intended purpose of the funds used.
I urge my fellow citizens to join me in asking for a more detailed accounting of this decision and before any future unquestioned spending of public funds. It is our right and duty to ensure our collective resources are managed in a way that reflects our community’s immediate needs and priorities. Tell your elected representatives to control their urges to spend public funds without regard for the current state of the economy.
