SAN ANTONIO — The Bexar County Commissioners Court convened Wednesday to hear an initial presentation from a hired consulting firm on how to spend $388 million of federal coronavirus relief aid. The big question is what to spend it on.
“We got the money sitting in the bank account. That’s doing nobody any good and so we need to put that to work,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.
The county hired Guidehouse to devise a plan for allocating money allotted by the federal government as part of a $65.1 billion aid legislative aid package signed into law March 11.
The firm presented a framework focused on several areas, which included healthcare, education and community development.
“Really, the consultant that we brought on board is guiding us to say hey, yes you can spend money on this, no you can’t spend money here,” said Precinct 3 Commissioner Trish DeBerry.
“I think we had a fairly good consensus that we want to invest in things that have a lasting benefit whether it’s 40 more beds to help people with mental illness that will go on and on, whether it’s to build a housing project – tiny housing for people that have had health issues,” Wolff said.
Guidehouse representatives provided examples of how municipalities nationwide have spent the coronavirus relief funds. Some communities distributed the money toward food distribution, expanding broadband internet access and assisting non-profit organizations.
Commissioner DeBerry stressed the importance of city-county collaboration during the process.
“Collectively, with suburban cities, probably a billion dollars. It’s a lot of money so we’ve got to be accountable, there has to be transparency associated with where we’re going to spend that money,” DeBerry said.
Future Bexar County Commissioners Court work sessions will provide more clarity on how the money will be used in the community.