August 30th, 2024 by WCBC Radio

A caller to WCBC's Dave Norman program on Thursday was questioning the viability of the relocation package offered through the City of Cumberland to attract remote workers to move here. The caller said that such money could be better spent helping those already living in the community to create a more desirable area…

 

“I have tremendous sympathy for people that are on fixed incomes, that own their homes, they’re 80 years old, the roof is falling, or the driveway looks bad, or they need home repairs but they don’t have the $20,000 whatever to do it and there’s no way they’re doing to get it. Or maybe $10,000. It will never happen in their life time.”

Mayor Ray Morriss responded to WCBC News by saying the City of Cumberland has several programs that have been operating for years designed to help current residents in need and the relocation package is a way to put Cumberland out there as a possible place for people to relocate…

 

“I know we’ve been budgeting about a quarter of a million dollars per year for the last 4 years for these programs.  The one is the Home Rehabilitation Program which has been greatly received. And the other is the Property Improvement Program which is an income based program to assist low income people within the community on exactly the type of repairs that people have been talking about.  Whether it is the roof, the siding, the gutters, things like that.”