Council hears explanation of $1.2 million supplemental appropriation for mental health and intellectual disabilities funds

County finance staff explained a supplemental appropriation of $1,200,000 to the mental health and intellectual disabilities fund, describing the amount as a combination of prior-year carryovers and a state-level annualization of ARPA-funded allocations.

The appropriation matters because it adds revenue to the county's 2025 mental health and intellectual-disabilities budgets for services and duties assigned by the Office of Developmental Programs. A representative said some of the money was unspent carryover and some came from the state's accounting treatment that annualized previously one-time ARPA support into recurring allocations.

Council members asked how the money originated and whether the county had applied for a grant. A county staff member explained the funds were state ARPA dollars that were not passed through the county originally but were allocated by the Office of Developmental Programs and have now been annualized into the county's revenue stream. "It will...not be called ARPA anymore. It will just be part of our money that we get from the office of developmental programs each year," the staff member said.

Staff said the appropriation is revenue received during the year that was not included in the adopted 2025 budget; some was previously budgeted as carryover and some was unexpected at the time of drafting last year's budget. Council did not take a recorded vote during the explanation at this meeting. Staff indicated the funds would be included in future budgets as part of recurring revenues where appropriate.