Fayette commissioners to seek public input on spending American Rescue Plan money
The Fayette County commissioners intend to seek public input on how to spend up to $25 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Commissioner Dave Lohr said Monday, how exactly they’ll go about doing so has not yet been worked out.
“It’s to happen shortly,” said Lohr.
He said he and his fellow commissioners are meeting with financial consultants to develop plans for the funding; as that process progresses, he said the commissioners will begin asking for taxpayers’ input.
While it was primarily designed as an immediate relief package for American citizens, ARPA also aims to help local governments recover from losses incurred during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through its State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program (SLFRF).
ARPA funding is more flexible than past economic-recovery programs and uses span a variety of categories, including health-related programs, negative economic impact-assistance for households, small businesses, nonprofits and the public sector; technical assistance; infrastructure treatments, transmission and distribution for water and sewage systems; stormwater improvements; and broadband projects designed to serve households and businesses.
Current county funding eligibility spans three years, from 2020-22.
According to ARPA reports from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the pandemic caused “severe economic damage.”
“While the economy is on track to a strong recovery, much work remains to continue building a robust, resilient and equitable economy in the wake of the crisis, and to ensure that the benefits of this recovery reach all Americans,” the report states.
For more information about ARPA, visit https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus.