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Paul “Andy” Stewart
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Tab 11
Ledger, The (Lakeland, FL)
March 1, 2009
Officials Not 'Optimistic' Over Stimulus
Author: MIKE GROGAN
HAINES CITY Officials from four Northeast Polk County cities recently told chamber of
commerce members that they're not holding their breath waiting for money from President
Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus package to filter down to them. "We're not terribly
optimistic about what we will receive," Ann Toney-Deal, city manager of Haines City, told the
luncheon gathering of the Haines City-Northeast Polk County Chamber of Commerce, held Feb.
19 at First Presbyterian Church.
Toney-Deal was part of a panel that consisted of Lake Hamilton Mayor Marlene Wagner and
city managers Amy Arrington of Davenport and Andy Stewart of Dundee discussing economic
and growth issues in their cities as part of the chamber's first ever regional update forum.
All four pointed out that federal stimulus money will be meted out to the states. Whether it will
filter down to local municipalities, particularly the smaller towns, is anybody's guess at this
point.
"We're watching it very closely," Toney-Deal said of the stimulus package that Obama signed
into law on Feb. 17 in an effort to jump start the nation's flagging economy.
She noted that her city has been able to weather what she called "the storm of budget cuts"
Florida municipalities have been faced with over the past two years because of falling revenues
throughout the state.
"We don't quite know what will happen in regards to our revenues," Toney-Deal said, adding
that the city is working to find ways to meet the challenge of providing services such as parks
and libraries that are used not only by residents of the city, but get regional usage as well.
The president has made it clear that a good portion of the stimulus package will go to local socalled
"shovel ready" projects - those that are ready to go, but have been put on hold because of a
shortage of funds. Those projects, Obama has said, will put people to work immediately and get
money into the economy.
"We have shovel-ready projects," Wagner said, pointing to her city's plans to replace downtown
water lines. "We just have to get some money."
Stewart, who has been on the job for less than two weeks, said he hopes that if federal money
does make it down to local projects, the money will be spent to hire local contractors.
"Personally, I hope a lot of local businesses receive some of those contracts," he said.
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