Speak Up: Kent County, cities begin to talk ARPA spending

Now that the first installment of the $350 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated to governments across the nation has been delivered, the challenge locally is determining how best to spend the money, while following rules for its use laid out by the federal government.

Kent County will receive a little more than $35 million in ARPA money. Of the county’s cities, Dover will receive $8.6 million, Milford’s sum is $6.34 million, and Harrington’s is $1.9 million. The funds were divided into two installments — the first was sent out in June, and the second will be delivered in June 2022.

Levy Court Commissioner Allen Angel, who chairs the administration committee, recently traveled to Washington on behalf of the county, as the ARPA rules are being determined. An interim ruling is in place, but the final decision on how the funds can be used has not been approved. “This is a major undertaking from what I saw and what I’m hearing,” Commissioner Angel said during a Tuesday Levy Court meeting. “Not just for us but even some of the cities that are a lot larger than us.”

As outlined on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website, the funding is meant to support COVID-19-response efforts, replace lost revenue within governments, support economic stabilization for households and businesses, and address systemic public health and economic challenges.

Kent County Administrator Michael Petit de Mange called the county’s sum an “unprecedented amount of money” Thursday, as the county normally would not receive funding from the federal government. To determine how to best allocate its ARPA money, Levy Court is forming committees with citizens. Commissioners will serve as liaisons.

• You spelled embezzlement and waste wrong. — Jim Green

• We already spent enough. Get everyone back to work and give the money back to taxpayers. — Tom Small

• More crippling debt and inflation! Thanks, Biden! — Rob Holley

• Giving money to politicians is like giving the keys to the bank to a criminal. — Cal William