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County administrator flags sales-tax dip, KIPP cash position and ARPA documentation request
Summary
St. Croix County staff reported a small year-over-year sales-tax decline, said $11 million remains on the government center expansion with $2 million in bond proceeds, and warned that the federal ARPA office has requested documentation for remaining funds or may seek repayment.
At the April 1 St. Croix County Board meeting county staff reviewed financial reports through February and highlighted several items the board should note.
Staff reported that sales tax receipts fell to about $12.5 million in 2024 compared with about $12.6 million in 2023, a decline the presenter said was the first annual drop in many years. The county'wide financial packet shows month-by-month variance, but staff characterized the overall yearly change as a $100,000 decline.
On capital projects, staff said roughly $11 million remains to complete the government center expansion (referred to in the packet as the KIPP project) while only about $2 million in original bond proceeds remain available; staff explained bond proceeds were subject to a 36-month spending window that has required allocating other project costs to finish work.
Staff also said the federal ARPA office had emailed requesting documentation for remaining ARPA allocations and indicated that, without proper documentation, the federal government could seek to recover funds. "The federal government has sent me an email saying they would like their money back if we haven't, properly documented how we're going to use the remaining funds," the county presenter said.
Supervisors asked questions about documentation and fund sources; staff responded that written contracts and appropriations are being finalized to preserve eligible ARPA expenditures.
The board discussed these matters as part of routine financial oversight; no formal action beyond the informational report was taken at the meeting.
