It's really not too hard to imagine what $127 million can buy. You could get a pair of Space-X tickets to the International Space Station and have enough left over for in-flight pretzels. Or you could buy La Datcha, the ice-breaking yacht of Russian billionaire Oleg Tinkov. That's also about the value of Xanadu 2.0, the 66,000-square-foot estate where Bill and Melinda Gates lived before their divorce last year. And that's about how much money soccer star Lionel Messi grossed last year to make the top spot in Forbes list of highest paid athletes.
To express the figure in terms the ordinary shopper would understand: that's enough money for everyone in Michigan to get two rotisserie chickens from Sam's Club and a liter of coke.
No matter how you think of it, $127 million is a lot of money. That's the amount Kent County has received in American Rescue Plan funds. The county is allocating money to infrastructure projects in drainage and broadband internet. They also are waiving restaurant licensing fees to help these businesses get back on their feet after Covid.
In addition, county commissioners are seeking input from residents on how the remaining funds should be spent. Public forums are scheduled June 2-8. A special website gives details about the meetings and a survey to make suggestions and list priorities.
Looking at the categories offered, I think my top priority is community health, especially programs that address mental health. So what do you think Kent County needs?
