Jackson County executive defends expedited ARPA solicitation amid legislature's requests for more notice

Jackson County Executive Office officials told the county legislature on Sept. 8 that ongoing litigation about the 2025 budget limited discussions with multiple legislators, and that the executive issued a broad solicitation to distribute ARPA funds quickly.

Caleb Clifford of the County Executive’s Office said litigation around the 2025 budget made it “very difficult to have conversations with, four members of the county legislature” and that the executive wanted “to start a lawful process that would allow the legislature to decide where these funds go.”

The executive’s office described the solicitation as broad and open to responses. Clifford said the administration is already receiving submissions and will bring those responses back to the legislature for final decisions on awards.

Legislator Barca pressed Clifford and the county’s general counsel about whether any law actually prohibited the executive from talking with legislators. The county’s general counsel said litigation over the budget limited communications, and later said he had provided a legal opinion to the legislature that staff do not have authority to set assessments (in a separate ordinance discussion), but he also acknowledged he had not personally discussed the communications question with the administration.

Barca and other legislators asked why the solicitation was not issued earlier, when the budget passed in July. Clifford said the executive tried to wait for litigation to resolve, but when the lawsuit persisted months after the budget passed, he felt it was “dire” to move the funds into the community and therefore expedited the solicitation. Clifford said agencies can request additional time to respond and the administration would take those concerns into account.

Clifford repeatedly emphasized that any final awards will be made by the legislature. He said, “We provided ample time,” and that responses will be brought to the legislature so members can “make the decisions on where those funds go.”

Legislators asked for a written legal opinion about the limits on communication between the executive and groups of legislators; several indicated they wanted formal clarity on what the litigation prohibits. Barca said he would like an opinion clarifying whether the executive is barred from speaking to four legislators and expressed concern that the litigation was being used as an excuse for limited outreach.

The administration did not announce specific award amounts or shortlisted applicants during the meeting. The legislature’s role in final awards was reiterated by Clifford; he said the process is intended to solicit proposals quickly while preserving the legislature’s authority to approve allocations.