Union County's method of allocating federal COVID-19 relief funds has made the dollars hard to track, county Treasurer Jody Cunningham told JPs Thursday, as they considered an ordinance that would create new budget lines for appropriated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.
"Since these are federal funds, I have to file a report every year. On my side of the books, when you start transferring out of these federal funds to our county general funds or jail maintenance funds and it's getting mixed in with other monies from those same funds, it's a nightmare," she said.
The only ordinance considered at this month's regular Quorum Court meeting created new budget lines within the county's established ARPA fund within the county budget: one for jail improvements and another for coroner equipment and supplies.
Into the new jail improvement fund went $1,022,091.66, which Sheriff Ricky Roberts said was for capital improvements.
"It's leftover ARPA money ... to use for capital improvements, stuff like that," Roberts said.
Earlier this year, the Quorum Court approved an appropriation of $1.7 million for improvements at the UCSO, including upgrades to the women's shower area, a self-serve cold water station for inmates, new air conditioning units, a new maintenance shop and smaller renovations, like painting.
"We've got foundation poured for the shop, that's about as far as we've gotten," Roberts said on Monday. "They're supposed to start most of the renovations on Nov. 1; we're going to try to hold their feet to that."
He said he feels good about the accountability the new ARPA funds will provide.
"The Treasurer has to account for every penny of that," he said. "Now, when we get an invoice for whatever they do in the jail, we can just take it to her and it's paid out of that account."
Union County Coroner Stormey Primm said the $13,593.83 moved into the new coroner equipment and supplies fund in the ARPA budget was approved by the Quorum Court for new supplies earlier this year.
"It's the same money, that's what hasn't been spent yet," he said.
In May, JPs agreed to let Primm spend $19,875.51 on new equipment including four mortuary cots (stretchers); a replacement camper shell for the coroner's body transport vehicle; and 100 body bags.
"We ordered stretchers, but they're typically six to 12 months out," Primm said. "We had to have one pretty much immediately, the rest are ordered."
JPs on Thursday unanimously approved the ordinance creating the new ARPA budget funds.
"With my system, I can tell you everything that's spent out of that fund, but if you transfer it... it gets lost in the mix," Cunningham said. "I think going forward that's what we need to do if it's federal money and I need to keep track of it; otherwise, I think it's going to be impossible."