Oklahoma County policy committee members voted to recommend splitting the remaining unspent ARPA balance under the benefits department equally among the three county districts and to forward that recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).

The nut graf: the committee's recommendation directs staff to carry the proposal to the BOCC and instructs each district to work with Accenture to identify existing subrecipient projects eligible for increased allocations that can meet the Treasury's December 31, 2026, expenditure deadline.

At the meeting, the chair asked whether all three districts agreed to split the unspent funds into thirds; after confirmation, the chair moved to recommend the split. The motion specified $3,333,333.33 per district, indicating the remaining balance was $10,000,000. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Staff clarified next steps: the committee chair said the recommendation can be taken to the BOCC as soon as next week; once approved by the BOCC, each district will coordinate with Accenture and the county ARPA contracting staff to update subrecipient contracts and allocate the additional funds. Staff reiterated that any reallocations must go to existing subrecipient projects and the subrecipients must be able to meet the December 2026 expenditure deadline.

Ending: The committee approved the recommendation and directed staff to present the reallocation proposal to the BOCC on a rolling basis so contracts can be updated expeditiously.

(Direct quotes in this article are attributed only to speakers appearing in the meeting transcript.)