Benton County pulls ARPA resolutions, delaying contractor payments

Benton County officials pulled two resolutions intended to move ARPA grant money into expenditure accounts after meeting organizers determined the commission did not have the two-thirds presence required for appropriation.

Mayor Roseanne Ward told the commission the measures involved "old ARPA money that we're closing out projects with," and said the county's grant writer needs canceled checks before she can file final grant paperwork. "This has been going on for 3 years," Ward said, warning that contractors left unpaid may decline future bids and that outside grantors might be reluctant to award funds to Benton County if payments are delayed.

The chair described Resolution Number 1 as a plan "to budget funds received from the TDEC ARPA grant to proper line items for expenditure to Harbor Town Utility and Community Development Partners." After discussion about the lack of a two-thirds quorum for appropriations, the resolutions were pulled for consideration at a future meeting; the chair said they will be brought back in December.

Earlier in the session the commission approved the agenda after a motion and second, with the presiding officer calling for ayes. Following the withdrawal of the two resolutions, a motion to adjourn was made by Pete Arnold and recognized by the chair.

The meeting record shows the county intends to move the already-received ARPA funds from their current account into expenditure line items so contractors can be paid, but no appropriation vote was taken. The explicit next step recorded in the meeting is that the resolutions were withdrawn and will be reintroduced at the next meeting; no new deadline for payment was reported during the session.

Notes: The resolutions referenced the "TDEC ARPA grant" and named Harbor Town Utility and Community Development Partners as recipients of the re-budgeted funds. No vote on the appropriations took place because the quorum requirement for appropriation was not met; the record indicates the items were pulled and will be returned to the agenda at a later date.