<div>Scott County Board of Commissioners continued to discuss the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds at their regular meeting on Sept. 18.The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 granted $1.9 trillion for the country’s recovery from the economic and health effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Earlier this year the Commissioners unanimously agreed to enter into an interlocal agreement with neighboring county Jefferson to share chip seal equipment for road preservation, however, Scott County Council tabled the decision to the interlocal agreement earlier this month. All commissioner and county council seats are held by Republicans.Commissioner President Mike Jones said that both attorneys of the Commissioners and Council have been informed and are awaiting a joint meeting to be scheduled. He added that it would be a special meeting and that it would be open to the public.Jones said that the Board of Commissioners believes that they are the ones who decide how the ARPA funds are spent, but the Council believes that they have another vote on whether the funds are to be used or not. He believes that it is a pass-through for the council to say yes to an additional appropriation but the council doesn’t believe it.“The council can not decide where the money is spent, “ said Commissioner Randy Julian, “They can tell us no that we aren’t going to let you spend the money on this, but they can not tell us where to spend the money.”Julian said that the council was trying to make the commissioners decide on how to spend the funds, which isn’t the job of the council.“The only people who decide where that money is spent is the three of us,” said Jones. He stated that the commissioners are the executive body and they are the ones that make the decisions.Jones said that everything that was needed to know about the maintenance of the equipment and storage was included in the interlocal agreement, however, that agreement can be adjusted depending on the situation that arises.“It’s our responsibility to provide the tax payers with the best roads we can with the cheapest amount of money that we have and that’s available,” Commissioner Greg Prince said,He added that chip seal is a good economical start for preserving the roads and that the commissioners and Highway Department Superintendent Kevin Hall are looking into options and researching to be able to preserve the roads of Scott County.Jones said that the commissioners and council have until December 31 of this year to allocate the funds from ARPA. He said he hoped that no one’s pride would prevent the funds that the county has left from ARPA would prevent them from having it spent for the needs of Scott County.</div>

Mountain View, CA

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Scott Commissioners, Council Remain At Odds Over ARPA $$

Scott County Board of Commissioners continued to discuss the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds at their regular meeting on Sept. 18. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 granted $1.9 trillion for the country’s recovery from the economic and health effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this...