By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Justices of the peace in Clark County gave approval Monday to earmark some $2.5 million in federal funding for a variety of improvements and projects.
Addressing members of the Quorum Court, county Judge Troy Tucker explained an outline of appropriations recommended to the full court by its Budget Committee. Justices voted to transfer $2,498,000 received from the American Rescue Plan Act for various uses. The federal government disbursed $65.1 billion in ARPA funds to government entities throughout the nation during the Covid pandemic. Clark County was the recipient of $4,335,398 in ARPA funding, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Tucker said the county must earmark the spending this year and fulfill the expenditures by the end of 2025. To date, the county has used ARPA funding for employees’ one-time bonuses and a landfill project, among others; ARPA funding has also been set aside for roof repairs at the court complex.
(Editor’s note: Percentages calculated below were rounded to the nearest whole number.)
The county road department is set to receive 24% of ARPA funding, or $600,000. The budget lists the expenditure under the category of asphalt; however, Tucker said the money would be used to purchase equipment and for capital improvement projects at road department facilities.
Another 20%, or $500,000, is earmarked for the Arkadelphia Community Foundation, which Tucker said has agreed to hold onto for the county’s part in matching Transportation Alternatives Program grants.
Fifteen percent, or $381,000, is being set aside for future one-time county employee “bonuses”, generally doled out during the Christmas holiday.
Justices appropriated 10% of the ARPA funding, or $250,000, in order to kickstart a self-funded insurance program for county employees. An ordinance establishing that fund was given approval at the end of Monday’s meeting.
The county’s general fund is set to receive 8%, or $200,000, for the purchase of three single-family dwellings on 4th Street south of the courthouse. Tucker said he had the properties appraised and negotiated with Ron Addington to offer $180,000 for the homes, one of which burned last year. While the judge isn’t entirely certain about future plans for the properties, some ideas are to expand the armory building or add courthouse parking. The home that sustained major damage from the 2023 fire, situated between the other two, will be razed, Tucker said.
Air-conditioning units — long overdue for replacement, as they were installed shortly after the 1997 tornado — will be replaced with 6% ($159,000) of the earmarked funding.
Rural and municipal fire departments in Clark County are set to receive $10,000 apiece from a line item equating to another 6%, or $140,000, of the county’s ARPA funding.
Five percent, or $125,000, is earmarked for building materials and supplies for the courthouse and other county-owned facilities.
An additional $100,000 for property maintenance makes up 4% of the spending.
Nearly 2% of the ARPA funding is set to be used for the razing of a storage building south of the county library. The judge said that space could be used for additional parking in downtown.
The expenditures would leave $395,060 unappropriated in the ARPA fund balance.