At the March meeting of the McDonough County Board, Board member Ken Durkin brought forth a motion that was voted down to forward to transfer of funds from the county's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Account to the Animal Control Memorial Fund to help with the funding equipment that will be used in a new animal shelter that will eventually replace the county's dilapidated shelter.
The Board voted against an amended motion to transfer $55,244 in interest income from the more than $5 million provided to the county from ARPA.
But what exactly are ARPA funds and what were they used for? McDonough County Clerk Jeremy Benson sat down with The Community News Brief (CNB) to explain how those COVID relief funds were used, and now that the U.S. Treasury has reconciled those funds, the county's ARPA reporting account with the treasury is now considered closed.
The interest from that now inactive fund, which totals slightly over $110,400, remains in a separate fund, awaiting a future decision by the County Board on how best to use the funds. Going back to the funds that were provided, the county passed its first ordinance in January 2022 and a subsequent ordinance in August 2023. In addition, the county hired a consultant to in 2023 ensure that all i's were dotted and t's crossed in regard to the federal funding and its disbursements.
'To apply for the funds, the county had to submit an itemized application to the U.S. Treasury for approval. It was a very lengthy application that had to be reviewed and approved by the federal government,' Benson explained. 'The county also had to submit annual reporting to ensure that it was complying with the use of funds.'
