Ohio County Fiscal Court closes ARPA account after moving funds; members debate amendment record

The Ohio County Fiscal Court voted unanimously to close an ARPA bank account after officials said the account balance had been fully transferred.

County Judge Johnson said the account was at zero and moved to close it after confirming the transfers. A motion to close the account was made by Michael McKinney and seconded by Bo Bennett; the court approved the motion by voice vote.

Court members also discussed an amendment to a prior resolution that reallocated ARPA funds to local projects, including a $20,000 allocation to “my father’s house” and $106,165 to the Regional Business Park. The judge read language found in the packet (page 53) showing the court approved amending Resolution 24-25 to obligate remaining unobligated funds as of 04/23/2024 to the ARPA program and to add the $20,000 and the Regional Business Park allocation. Some members noted the minutes did not explicitly record the vote on that amendment; the court agreed staff would review and correct the minutes if necessary.

During the discussion, members asked where certain funds had come from and whether money had been taken from the general fund; court records and the packet language indicated the adjustments were made within the previously approved resolution. One member asked courtroom staff to confirm the source and to make any needed corrections to prior minutes.

The court’s motion to close the ARPA account proceeded after that clarification and passed on a voice vote. No additional transfers were reported during the meeting.