Faulkner County moves to reappropriate ARP funds to meet federal spending deadline, preserves jail project funding
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Summary
County staff told the Budget and Finance Committee they will reappropriate remaining ARP dollars and may shift funds between restricted and unrestricted ARP accounts so all grant spending is complete by the federal deadline. The committee approved batched reappropriations and zeroed out several closed subfunds.
Faulkner County staff briefed the Budget and Finance Committee on a plan to reappropriate remaining American Rescue Plan (ARP) dollars to make sure the county satisfies federal spending rules ahead of a December deadline.
"If something happens and one of these projects doesn't come all the way through, then we have something else we can shift the funds into to make sure they're spent and to make sure we don't lose those funds," a county administrator said, explaining the approach of moving unspent allocations to two principal ARP accounts: a restricted account tied to the Conway Corp water-treatment project and an unrestricted 'lost revenue' account that supports the jail project.
The committee approved a series of batch motions to reappropriate and zero out multiple ARP subfunds. Staff emphasized these are reappropriations, not new county tax dollars, and that the county has been earning interest on ARP balances that can be used for approved projects.
The action keeps momentum on capital projects tied to ARP while ensuring the county remains compliant with federal deadlines. Committee members asked for continued monthly reporting on ARP expenditures and carryover.