Spartanburg Co. figures out plans for federal pandemic funds

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — Spartanburg County was racing against the clock Monday night, holding a public hearing about how to allocate millions of dollars of American Rescue Act money before the December 31 deadline.

With state figures projecting a whopping 100,000 people expected to move in to Spartanburg County by 2042, city leaders told county council members stormwater management is vital to supporting a city, even from below.

“Oh, they’re coming fast and we’re trying to keep up with them,” said Ron Kirby, a civil engineer with the county.

On Monday, the county council voted to approve $7.5 million of federal funding to stormwater management at the future joint city-county government complex, as well as nearly $3 million to increase recruitment for county jobs.

“It’s the best use of that money available that came from the federal government,” said Spartanburg County Council Member David Britt. “It also gives us the ability to take the money that we were going to put into this project and put it towards roads.”

The plan is to repair four culverts in the area with ARPA funds.

The original funds earmarked for the four culverts before the ARPA funds were approved, now being targeted towards maintaining county roads.

“Being proactive is important,” Kirby continued. “Some of our infrastructure is over a 100 years old. It’s just not built to last that long.”

Kirby said the county has thousands of culverts supporting the roads from below, many of which need work.

“Not enough money was being appropriated to maintenance over the years,” Kirby explained.

In August, heavy rain damaged a culvert on Old John Dodd Road in Boiling Springs.

“Apartment complexes, shopping centers, schools; all of that adds impervious areas, new roads, more water, more stress on the system,” Kirby said.

Now, Kirby hopes county leaders continue to look towards the future for the Spartanburg community.

The county must spend the money by the end of 2026.

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