Where’s the Plan for Our $25 M in ARP Funds?
Faulkner Co. has almost $25 million in American Rescue Plan / federal COVID relief funds coming in. After March 15, the County received requests from 17 entities for how to spend all of that and more.
The missing link is a definitive plan/guidelines/leadership on how to review and allocate those funds.
Another Class 6 county, Craighead, is hiring a consultant to direct their spending, and, like others, has chosen to wait until all the funds are received before spending anything. (Half the total amount awarded has already been received, with the federal government sending the other half in June or July.)
But in Faulkner County, not only has the Quorum Court starting spending this one-time “found money,” taxpayers have yet to see a comprehensive plan that prioritizes County issues like the proposed new jail facility and the animal shelter along with these substantial requests that have been submitted.
Baker’s Pie Chart
After being asked to do so by a Quorum Court member last September, County Judge Jim Baker displayed a pie chart with spending categories by percent.
The only other time Baker has discussed his “plan” was at the April 12 Budget Committee meeting where he urged approval for six water, sewer, and wastewater projects for a total of a little over $20 million.
Despite repeated requests from members of the public for a comprehensive review and plan for all the current ARP requests, JPs went on to approve two small infrastructure projects at the April Quorum Court meeting, sending the remainder of the water sewer / wastewater requests to the Infrastructure Committee.
But the public is still in the dark with no overall plan.
No Public Leadership From Judge
JPs were not consulted about the County’s RFQ process for the requests, nor was any plan conveyed before the April Quorum Court meeting, where the Budget Committee reported its approval of Baker’s six-item ordinance for infrastructure projects in selected communities in the County.
Baker had apparently discussed various projects with County Mayors since at least last fall, when he mentioned “about eight” funding requests that were “not ready yet.”
Faulkner Co. has almost $25 million in American Rescue Plan / federal COVID relief funds coming in and requests from 17 entities for how to spend all of that and more.
Where’s the transparency (communication with taxpayers)?
Where’s the accountability (some sort of a plan for prioritizing this $25 million)?
After all, we’re the ones paying taxes and dealing with inflation and higher prices because of all the “free money” that’s being distributed here.
