While local cities like Washington and Wellman have put commitments towards some of the American Rescue Plan Act funds they’ve received for pandemic relief, the Washington County Board of Supervisors is hesitant to decide upon any uses.

An update regarding ARPA funds was put on the supervisors’ agenda for their recent meeting. Supervisor Stan Stoops said he has received lots of department head emails pitching ideas on how to spend those funds, and he’s been compiling a list of possible projects. The board is still seeking to see the final rules published on how these disbursements must be spent, though they’ve been advised that they go by the informal rules. The county is set to receive more than $4 million from the bill that was signed into law last March, and eligible uses include assistance to small businesses, households, and hard-hit industries, premium pay for essential workers, and investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. Governments are restricted from using the funds to offset tax reductions or be deposited into any pension fund. Funding must be spent by the end of calendar year 2024. No action was taken during the meeting. The supervisors have been discussing these funds since last May.