JPs & County Judge Eye $24 Million in COVID Relief Funds
The Budget & Finance Committee heard positive revenue news and began looking at some $24,000,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funds at its 10-minute meeting held immediately before the Personnel Committee on May 11.
Several county officers — including County Treasurer Scott Sanson and Assessor Krissy Lewis — attended the meetings via Zoom (online), as did several JPs, whether part of the Budget and/or Personnel Committee or not.
April Financial Reports
For April, Sanson reported these “big 5” revenue totals:
County General: $1,514,849
County Road: $4,065,891
County Road Sales Tax: $2,414,662
Animal Control: $1,727,436
Criminal Justice Sales Tax: $1,445,847
Revenue Up 9.43% Over 2020
He said that the County had “real good current tax revenue,” reporting an April total of $797,545 — up by 5.1% over April, 2020 and “currently for the year, we’re 9.43% above this time last year.”
“We’re currently at 35% of projected revenue for the year,” he added.
JPs had no questions.
Ordinance 21-14
With no discussion, committee members approved this routine transfers Ordinance to the full Court by unanimous voice vote, after JP Randy Higgins moved to send the Ordinance to the full Court and JP Jerry Boyer provided the second.
Ordinance 21-15
Faulkner County is expected to receive some $24 million in American Rescue Plan *funding that must be spent by the end of 2024. (That’s about 2 1/2 times the annual Faulkner County budget.)
This Ordinance, with its emergency clause, sets up the appropriate revenue fund as mandated by the Arkansas Legislative Audit for tracking and expenditures of that funding, which is restricted by federal guidelines not yet released, as County Attorney Phil Murphy explained.
Murphy said the U.S. Treasury Department is creating final regulations on how the money can be spent and that he would distribute the current draft rules, adding that the Governor’s new steering committee as well as the Association of Arkansas Counties and others would be working on “highlights” of the regulations.
Responding to a couple of questions, Murphy said the money can be used
♦ to replace “reduced revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic,”
♦ for “certain infrastructure projects … water, sewer, or broadband,” and
♦ for a “premium pay provision for workers that were on the front line … either government employees or possibly contractors.”
County Judge is “Creating a Budget”
He said the “County Judge is working on creating a budget for how the money will be spent as far as finding projects in certain areas, and so that’s something the County Judge would need to be brought into this conversation to discuss.”
Again, Higgins moved to send Ordinance 21-15 to the full Court and Boyer provided the second; the Ordinance passed by unanimous voice vote.
The 10-minute meeting then adjourned.
* The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides $1.92 trillion in federal “American Recovery funds” to many entities, including state and local governments impacted by COVID. The terms are interchangeable in general use.
Videos edited from original video on Faulkner County’s YouTube channel.)
Visit Faulkner County Reports on YouTube for more videos and video excerpts from this and other County meetings.
