Cabarrus commissioners reject weatherization funding

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If low-income people in Cabarrus County want to weatherize their homes for the winter, many will have to pay for it without government help.

Cabarrus County commissioners have rejected $75,000 in federal funds to weatherize homes and lower power bills.

The funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and are intended to pay for weather stripping, insulation, repairing broken exterior doors, patching holes in walls and roofs and performing minor furnace maintenance and repair.

County Commissioner Chris Measmer said he doesn’t think it’s the government’s place to provide such assistance. It’s something homeowners should take care of themselves, he said.

He also said the ARRA funds come with rules and requirements, such as the use of specific equipment like venting fans, which increase the expense of repairs. Plus, the county already has about $200,000 left over from a $1.2 million ARRA grant it received three years ago for weatherization, he said.

County community development manager Kelly Sifford said that money is earmarked for homes that are on a county waiting list.