Wayne County committee approves Land Bank amendment, shifts demolition funding to ARPA (SLURF) dollars

The Wayne County Committee on Economic Development on an unstated date approved Amendment 1 to the agreement with the Wayne County Land Bank Corporation to continue a blighted property demolition project and to change the project’s funding source from revenue replacement to SLURF (ARPA) funds.

Committee members said the amendment preserves the previously approved program terms while moving the revenue source so the county can meet federal ARPA spending and obligation deadlines. A staff presenter explained the change as an accounting shift rather than a change to the program’s scope: “we are simply, amending the source, from, revenue replacement … making them SLURF dollars,” (Staff member).

The committee discussed limits on the revenue-replacement category and the need to free capacity for other post‑ARPA uses. Sean Farrell, outside legal counsel with the Allen Law Group, said the county previously approved $178,000,000 to place in revenue replacement and that a recent $26,000,000 budget adjustment was added to that total. Farrell summarized the account structure: “Everything else under the $339,000,000 that's left is under SLURF, but all of those funds are now obligated by the obligation deadline.”

Commissioners asked for clearer breakdowns of the dollar pools. One commissioner requested a current ledger of each fund; staff said they would provide the detailed breakdown to the committee. The motion to approve Amendment 1 passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

The amendment keeps the program’s existing demolition scope and contractor relationships intact while changing the internal funding source. County staff said the change was intended to ensure compliance with federal ARPA rules and to guarantee the projects are obligated before the county’s obligation deadline in 2026.