Montgomery County unobligated $2.87 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding during the Oct. 24 Commissioners Court session as part of an effort to use funding before it expires in 2024. Unobligated funding is no longer designated toward a specific purpose and can be repurposed.

Two-minute impact

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the county dedicated ARPA funding toward staffing local hospitals with nurses and medical personnel. Out of that funding, as of Oct. 24, the county still holds $2.87 million, which was no longer being used by the the local hospitals. Montgomery County still has $8.23 million remaining in total from ARPA funds:

• $5.3 million in ARPA unobligated funds
• $2.87 million from the nursing staffing project

However, the county already has a certain number of projects that will use the funding before it is frozen against potential further uses, including:

• $5 million toward a new radio tower in Precinct 1
• $155,850 for a new mental health investigator for the district attorney’s office

What else?

County Budget Officer Amanda Carter also requested roughly $2 million be set aside for payroll and emergency purposes. Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack requested the remaining funds, which totaled to just over $1 million, also be frozen and have no more expenditures from the ARPA in the fiscal year 2023-24 budget.