May 11, 2020
Submitted by: Carlos A.F. Da Silva
Plymouth County Commissioner candidate Carlos A.F. Da Silva today called on the Plymouth County Commissioners to follow the request of the Mayor of the City of Brockton and officials in Plymouth as well as the Inspector General‘s recommendation and turn over their recently acquired $90 Million Federal Covid-19 aid over to better qualified State authorities.
“In the middle of a pandemic, when voters rightly expect their elected officials to focus on the greater good of the community, the Plymouth County Commissioners have instead chosen to take advantage of the situation.” Carlos Da Silva continued, “They led the Federal government into believing they are a County government like those in Western states and accepted $90 million in Covid-19 relief that would be much better administered by Massachusetts state officials. Because of their actions, desperately needed aid will now be delayed getting to those that need it most.”
I have chosen to run for Plymouth County Commissioner in the upcoming September 1st Primary because I believe Plymouth County has not yet realized its full potential. The County has neglected revenue opportunities and, as a result, has under-serviced our communities. To properly enhance revenue I envision business and educational partnerships to provide our young people with valuable, hands-on work experience. They would work within the County Commission to help communities source much needed State and Federal grants that, in turn, could substantially enhance revenue. We should do all this while operating with greater transparency and a disciplined accountability to the people.
The 27 municipalities within Plymouth County may experience budget shortfalls as a result of COVID-19. Any additional money coming from the State or Federal Government will help alleviate the reduction of programs.
Plymouth County will receive $90 million. The Commonwealth already has a team in place that manages large grant amounts and ensures that these funds are allocated appropriately with proper accountability and transparency. The Inspector General found recent misuse of taxpayer money for the County’s dredging program.
To avoid any potential liabilities to the 27 municipalities, I would rather see the Commonwealth administrating the money and distributing it to the municipalities. Furthermore, as this is an election year, I believe that current commissioners, the treasurer and a member of the advisory board who are running for office should also abstain from any involvement with this grant to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
When elected I will work to improve and develop:
1. Accountability: The County may receive numerous grants in various areas. When elected, I will call for a study group that will develop stricter guidelines to ensure that we spend these funds in the best manner possible, and have biannual independent audits to ensure these funds are being spent correctly.
2. Transparency: As is the case with School Committees throughout Massachusetts, I will propose that:
a) The Commissioners establish a yearly calendar of meetings so everyone knows the date, time and location of the meetings;
b) All meetings are filmed and made available online for broadcasting throughout the 27 communities’ public cable access television channels.
3. Internship Program: Millennials and Generation Z do not vote at the level of older generations. We need more young people from these generations involved in public service. Therefore, we will open the county government to our young adults via these internships, providing them with valuable work-experience so that they then might return to their communities and help start new businesses or work within our local governments. By partnering with chambers of commerce, businesses, and higher educational institutions, interns will help write grants and help forge better communication with the elected and appointed officials throughout our 27 communities. These partnerships will also enhance summer job opportunities for young adults. Hingham officials recently discovered grant money available for dredging. They applied and were awarded over $1.5 million in grants. I would like to see County Commissioners applying for similar grants and provide dredging services to the municipalities, thus increasing revenue for the County.