The vast majority of people were pleased to hear that the Washington County Commissioners struck a deal to demolish the Washington Mall with funds from their Blight Mitigation and Demolition Fund. However, some residents asked why county tax dollars were being used. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman clarified where the money came from to set up the fund. According to Sherman, the fund was seeded by $13 million of the $98 million the county received in American Rescue Plan Act funding. He called it a textbook example of what the blight mitigation program is designed for. He said the county is pleased to be able to develop shovel ready pads for developers to build on. Those projects will bring in well paying construction jobs that will then develop long lasting jobs once the projects have been completed. Sherman said there is no Tax Increment Financing or TIF funding program involved with development. He said that the economic development derived from the demolition of the mall will more than recoup any funds spent by the county for the work. Demolition is expected to begin in the spring.