Panhandle counties eyeball ARPA purchases

Bonner County isn’t alone when it comes to skepticism surrounding spending American Rescue Plan Act money.

Boundary, Kootenai, Benewah, and Shoshone counties are also deciding what to do about the significant amount of money received from the federal government.

Like Bonner County, Boundary County also put a halt on spending ARPA funding. Officials are waiting to see what legal requirements may accompany the money.

“To date we have not spent any of the money,” Glenda Poston, Boundary County clerk, said in January.

Poson explained that once the legal requirements are settled, the county will feel confident in spending the funding.

Unlike its northern neighbors, Kootenai County has formulated a committee to guide the county in spending its allocated funds totaling approximately $32 million.

The ARPA task force is a board of five to seven individuals whose role is to assure that all of Kootenai County’s ARPA spending adheres to the U.S. Treasury’s final rule regarding the COVID-19 relief money.

According to information from Kootenai County Commissioner Chairman Chris Fillios, the county intends to spend a large portion of their funds on a new justice center.

“It’s been very transparent, it’s been very open,” Fillios said in January. “The taskforce will make a recommendation to us, and ultimately we will decide where that money is going. The justice center won't take all the money, but it’ll take a pretty good chunk.”

Shoshone County has also assembled an ARPA task force to assist in assuring the federal funds are spent appropriately.

Although Benewah County has not created a special commission, they intend on spending ARPA money on infrastructure improvements, and premium pay for medical workers.

“So far the only thing we’ve spent it on is premium payout to our essential workers,” said Deanna Bramblett, Benewah County clerk. “And then we approved a smaller water and sewer district to upgrade their infrastructure. All I need to do now is cut the check.”

The American Rescue Plan Act was passed by Congress in March 2021. Of the $1.9 trillion stimulus, $1.89 billion of that is allocated to Idaho. Recipients have until December 2024 to allocate funds to be spent on specific projects or relief. The money must be spent before December 2026 in order to comply with the legislation.

“This time around, we have nearly four years to spend the new funds,” Governor Brad Little said in March 2021. “This time around, we’re not in crisis mode.”

Governor Brad Little encourages local governments to be thoughtful when allocating funds.

“We should not hastily spend the funds we receive. We should wait for guidance from the U.S. Treasury, so we responsibly allocate these resources,” Little said in March 2021. “We must be thoughtful and deliberative in our approach.”

The governor’s hope for the state is for funding to be spent on long-range investments. Little emphasized that purchases should benefit future generations.

“The funds are mortgaged from our grandchildren,” Little said. “We should make long-range investments that will serve to better their chances and opportunities since they are burdened with paying off the debt.”