Issues & Answers – Use of ARPA Funds

The March 6, 2024 edition of the Perry County Tribune offered Perry County candidates for public office an opportunity to answer six questions. Candidates were asked to limit their answers to 150 words. I complied with those restrictions to the letter. However, with my website, I have the opportunity to provide you with more in-depth responses if you wish to read them. Here is my full response to question three…

The current commission has put ARPA funds into the county general fund, and used the money to cover increased expenses and revenue shortfalls. Do you consider this appropriate use of those COVID-related funds? Why or why not?

YES, I believe all my covid-related decisions (CARES & ARPA) were done in the most appropriate way possible. All those decisions were unanimous by the Board of Commissioners.

The covid pandemic created countless extra challenges and expenses throughout the operation of the County, and as we have all seen, prices for goods and services and the cost of operating the County have increased dramatically.

Through the Cares Act the county received $2,800,000.00.
Below is a list of expenses the Board of Commissioners approved as expenditures made directly from those Cares Act funds:

Library $27,596
Small businesses $382,656
Buildings/telework $125,273
Personnel $74,440
Public health $5,634
PPE $178,754
Senior Center $21,391
Dog Shelter $27,000
Properly distanced workstations and equipment for 911 Center $694,919

Balances unspent are still available and held within our Capital improvement line.

Through the ARPA program the county received ~$6,700,000.00
Below is a list of expenses the Board of Commissioners approved as expenditures made directly from those ARPA funds:

We provided $350,000 as local match for the new building at the Perry County Fair Grounds, this allowed the Fair Board to obtain additional State Capital Improvement money, Combined with their local funds this building is becoming a reality. The 51 weeks of the year when the County Fair is not going on, it will be available for county functions and emergency services.

Habitat for Humanity $40,000. These funds allowed for the construction of two additional houses to be built in Perry County and purchased and ultimately paid for by low-income families. This is one more small effort we made to address the housing issue in Perry County. Once repaid those funds are used by Habitat for Humanity to build more houses and repeat the process.

MARCS Radio upgrades for all departments $65,000. This is money the commissioners made available to fund each and every Law/Fire/EMS/ department with their need to upgrade their radios.

The Foundation for Appalachia manages an endowment for Perry County. It was created by the Perry County Community Foundation and that foundation has done great work to achieve a funding level that can sustain scholarships and grants for local Perry County requests. The commissioners provide $188,000 to bring that Perry County endowment to the one-million-dollar level. This money is “permanently” held for the future of Perry County. Only the interest income is spent.

There are many other requests that are still on the list to be considered and funded. With this article I wanted to share the facts about the money that has been spent. Balances are still available and held within our Capital improvement line.

I was proud to be part of the board of the Perry County Commissioners as we had an opportunity to provide some real financial relief during the Covid-19 pandemic through these two programs.

As the only candidate that is also on the current board of commissioners that made those decisions, YES, I believe all the covid-related money was used in the most appropriate way and unanimously supported by the Board.

Filed under: Stories
Ben Carpenter

By Ben Carpenter

Ben Carpenter has served as one of three Perry County Ohio Commissioners since 2016. A former director of Perry County's Soil & Water District, Ben champions responsible use of county funds and land. He and his wife Katrina live on Ben's original family farm just outside Somerset, Ohio where they raise grass-fed Black Angus and Longhorn cattle.