Brown County Commissioners held a special called meeting today to decide how to spend the County’s remaining ARPA funds.  ARPA stands for the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 2021 to provide funds to local governmental bodies to help deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  ARPA funds can also be used for other things such as public health, public safety, transportation, etc.

Brown County currently has $5,099,185 of unspent ARPA funds.  Of that, $1,388,037 is already committed: $600,000 for a new building for the Health Department; $317,499 for the Brookesmith water supply system; $280,983 for the May water supply system; $50,059 for the Zephyr water supply system; $132,053 for salary assistance to the District Attorney’s office; and $7,441 for safety repairs in the Brown County Museum of History (figures rounded).

Commissioners first voted to remove the $132,053 in salary assistance from the ARPA funds, and move that financial obligation to the County’s general fund budget.  That change produced an uncommitted ARPA fund balance of $3,843,201.  Earlier this month the Commissioners were requested by the Brown County Water Improvement District to use some of the ARPA funds to help purchase a new boat for the Lake Patrol.  The Water District requested $50,000 to $100,000 for the boat.  The Commissioners voted NO to that request, by a vote of 3-2.  Voting YES were Commissioners Wayne Shaw and Joel Kelton.  Voting NO were Commissioners Gary Worley and Larry Traweek.  County Judge Shane Britton broke the tie with a NO vote.

Commissioners then voted to spend $2.3 million on the County’s computer system upgrade project, which has been ongoing since the first of the year.  The balance, a little over $1.5 million, will go to the County’s road funds.  With that, the County’s ARPA funds are now exhausted.