Coahoma County Supervisors had a difficult time spending $4.29 million in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds that came from the federal government as part of the COVID-19 stimulus plan, but they hit the deadline.
Supervisors met both Monday and Tuesday last week to haggle with ARPA consultant Andrew Smith on how to spend the funds, with Smith going back and forth on what the money could and couldn’t be spent on and evading direct questions on how much the county had spent and how much was left.
ARPA funds came about with the COVID pandemic and the federal government’s $130 billion stimulus plan that sent over $6 billion to Mississippi and $4,297,328 to Coahoma County. Clarksdale got $3,360,000 with Mayor Chuck Espy touting the city’s general fund has never been better financially.
ARPA rules and regulations say the federal funds had to be allocated by a hard and fast Dec. 31, 2024 deadline or the money went bad to Washington. The funds must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
Smith said in October the county could have as much as $800,000 left to spend. Those funds came from interest earned on the $4.2 million, water projects that came in under budget and two agencies that didn’t use their allocations.
ARPA funds must be allocated by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026. Stipulations were put on those dollars that prevented them to be used to lower taxes or to be spent on salaries, unless they were directly linked to combatting the spread of COVID.
Coahoma County spent the bulk of their money on water projects with each supervisor putting pipes in the ground to serve homes in their districts.
Federal rules also said the projects had to be new projects and could not be part of regular road and bridge maintenance.
Smith pointed out the county had paid for some of the project up front and would be reimbursed with ARPA funds.
He also pointed out the Care Station and Boys and Girls Club did not use their full allocation. Smith said Care Station has not spent $50,000 of its $100,000 allocation and Boys and Girls Club had not spent its $20,000.
Smith has repeatedly cited concerns with Care Station, the Coahoma County Volunteer Fire Department, a housing repair project for the Town of Coahoma and a $70,000 strategic plan prepared for the county by Jacorious Liner, a Bolivar County Supervisor.
Dist. 5 Supervisors Will Young has repeatedly told Smith he has taken funds from their allocations and used them to pay for countywide projects.
Young is seeking to refurbish a community center and voting precinct for Rena Laura.
Dist. 4 Supervisor Jesse Harris has said some of the funds were initially paid from the county general fund and he expected those dollars to be placed back in the county’s general fund from the ARPA account.
The county had roughly 80,000 un-allocated as of Tuesday and voted to allocate that money to supervisor districts account to be reallocated upon review by the State Audit Department. The county may seek local and private legislation to spend that remainder.
Smith is paid from the ARPA account under a contract of roughly $210,000 or $7,000 month.
North Delta Planning and Development District is paid $60,000 a year to handle similar work and has for years.
Smith was hired by a last minute motion by former Dist. 4 Supervisor Johnny Newson with former Dist. 5 Supervisor Roosevelt Lee and Dist. 3 Supervisor Derrell Washington voting for Smith. Dist. 1 Supervisor Paul Pearson and Dist. 2 Supervisor Pat Davis voted against it.
Coahoma County ARPA Funding
(As of Nov. 8, 2024)
• $116,200 – Employee COVID vaccination incentives
• $210,000 – ARPA Administration and Compliance
• $150,000 – Aaron Henry Community Health Center
• $485,932.95 – Broadband expansion (Uplink)
• $2,500 – MLK Bridge Christmas decorations (Crossroads Economic Partnership)
• $70,000 – Jacorious Liner’s county long-range growth plan
• $35,000 – County Barn security fence
• $100,000 – Care Station
• $30,000 – Emergency Management Agency E-911
• $100,000 – Clarksdale Animal Rescue Effort & Shelter (CARES)
• $200,000 – Courthouse chiller replacement
• $26,000 – County Fire Dept. rescue boat
• $70,000 – Crossroads Economic Development
• $2,535 – Circuit Clerk for Absolute Solution computers
• $70,000 – Rena Lara voting precinct
• $2,551,000 – Water projects across the county with at least one project in each supervisor district
ARPA dollars sent to local cities, towns and counties are:
CITY ALLOCATIONS
Alligator, $40,000
Batesville, $1,630,000
Charleston, $420,000
Clarksdale,* $3,360,000
Cleveland, $2,500,000
Coahoma,* $70,000
Friars Point,* $230,000
Indianola, $2,040,000
Jonestown,* $250,000
Lula,* $60,000
Lyon,* $60,000
Marks, $320,000
Shelby, $440,000
Sumner, $60,000
Tunica, $190,000
* = Local city/town.
COUNTY ALLOCATIONS
Bolivar, $5,940,000
Coahoma, $4,290,000
Quitman, $1,320,000
Sunflower, $4,870,000
Tallahatchie, $2,680,000
Tunica, $1,870,000
