Carroll County commissioners spent a large portion of their Aug. 11 meeting addressing concerns from the county delegation about a prior decision to apply the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) standard allowance and the resulting treatment of those funds in county accounts.

The discussion focused on whether the decision to take the ARPA standard allowance — a one-time federal option for smaller recipients — had the practical effect of transferring money into the county general fund without the formal transfer process that the delegation expects. Commissioners and staff agreed to prepare a short narrative, with supporting steps and legal citations, and hand-deliver it to the state treasurer's office and other appropriate state officials to request written confirmation that the county's approach will not be subject to clawback or other sanctions.

Why it matters: Delegation members told commissioners they will not appropriate additional former-ARPA funds until they get a clear, written statement that the county's prior accounting steps are lawful and defensible. That hold affects supplemental budget items and could delay projects the county planned to fund from the contested balance.

Commissioners described the mechanics: the county previously voted to take the ARPA standard allowance and then repeated that vote at a subsequent meeting to confirm the action. County staff said the funds remain in a designated fund and have not been spent; they said the county expects to be reimbursed on eligible projects and that no money has left county accounts. Delegation members, however, want a written assurance from state-level officials that the accounting steps taken will be accepted.

The board agreed to assemble a written chronology and a short list of questions for the state treasurer and Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) officials, and to ask whether any federal or state authority would seek recovery. Commissioners said they will try to hand-deliver the narrative and request a written reply to present to the delegation.

No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; commissioners voted to prepare and deliver the written packet and to follow up with the delegation. The motion passed by voice vote.