There are many priorities for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic devastation.

But the list is even longer than we knew — so long that it includes using federal money to pay Tarrant County employee bonuses in hopes of improving worker retention.

County commissioners voted on Tuesday to pay $4,900 to each full-time employee, or more than 4,600 people, in stages through December. Almost all of the $27 million will come from federal funds provided under the American Rescue Plan Act.

The hope is to reverse the county’s share of the big resignation – more than 1,600 workers have left since the COVID outbreak. We are all for that; county workers have been repeatedly called upon during the worst of the pandemic for virus testing, vaccinations and staffing elections in a safe manner. Governments need to avoid brain drain as much as any business.

Plus, with Republican Tim O’Hare likely to succeed Glen Whitley as county judge, workers can be temperamental. O’Hare said he would seek to significantly reduce county government, primarily by consolidating open positions. Workers nearing retirement or those with other options might see this as a good time to jump, and keeping some of them should be a priority.

We are also sure that county leaders have ensured compliance with the law. Congress hasn’t exactly placed many restrictions on COVID relief funds. The goal was to inject money into the economy and help struggling entities as quickly as possible.

It’s the kind of thinking, however, that keeps our national debt over $30 trillion and growing. It is borrowed money that future generations will have to repay. With rapid inflation driving up interest rates, they will also do so at a higher cost.

Tarrant County is far from alone here. The city, for example, is using $40 million in COVID funds to begin expanding the Fort Worth Convention Center. You see, hotel tax collections that would fund the project dropped when events were canceled and no one traveled, so it’s a pandemic expense.

Don’t get us started on state budgets either. Congress was worried that state and local governments would see deep cuts in revenue, so it sent them a ton of money. Texas expects to have at least $30 billion in unspent money; California has $98 billion to play with.

The COVID recession has passed quickly and the states are doing well. However, we are not naive enough to expect any of these governments to return the money. And our taxpayers will be on the hook, so might as well get our share, right?

Remember all of this as your gas and grocery bills keep rising. The federal government’s overcompensation for the pandemic slowdown is helping fuel inflation. Between that and what we’ll be paying in interest on the federal debt for decades, it better be one hell of a convention center.

The spending spree is going to have to end, and maybe sooner than expected. The economy is almost certainly in a recession, and who knows how long that will last. Unemployment remains low – indeed, businesses are still clamoring for workers – but that may change.

It’s budgeting season for local governments, and they need to plan for the uncertainty ahead. They don’t need to cut wildly yet, but it’s a good time to cut expenses and find a way to really reduce tax burdens, especially for homeowners reeling from double-digit increases in their property valuations. houses.

The Fort Worth School District has already done its homework and, to its credit, the district has cut about $40 million. But it also spends about $40 million from its general fund to come up with a budget that raises salaries for teachers and other employees. Officials expect federal funds to soften the blow. But if the district continues to shrink, budget decisions will become more difficult.

Governing during the pandemic has not been easy. Nor will governing in an economic downturn.