Spencer County commits $500,000 in ARPA funds to expand broadband; judge backs Spectrum application

Spencer County Fiscal Court voted on Oct. 18 to allocate $500,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to expand broadband service to unserved areas of the county.

The resolution, offered in revised form by the County Judge Executive and approved in a roll-call vote, directs the county to make funds available to providers to assist projects targeting locations that the Federal Communications Commission defines as unserved (less than 25 megabits per second download). The motion passed with Judge John Riley, Magistrate Jim Travis, Magistrate Jerry Moody and Magistrate Tim Brewer voting “aye”; Magistrate Brett Beaverson voted “nay.” Magistrate Mike Moody was absent.

Judge Riley supplied a letter of support for Spectrum Mid‑America, LLC’s application to the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, saying in part, “Over the past 18 months, we have seen how vital internet access can be. Without it, businesses can't compete; seniors can't receive healthcare through telemedicine; and students cannot access quality education.” The letter appears in the meeting packet and was entered into the record during consideration of the resolution.

The adopted resolution states that broadband is a legitimate ARPA use and affirms that the county has not violated federal, state or local law in making the allocation. It also specifies that funds will assist projects serving areas the county and applicant identify as currently unserved under the FCC standard (under 25 Mbps download).

Supporters said the funding will help attract grant and matching funds from state and federal programs that require local commitments. Opponents questioned committing a sizable portion of ARPA funds to a single program, as reflected by the lone nay vote recorded during the voice/roll-call vote.

The resolution is effective immediately for the purposes of making funds available to prospective providers and for executing necessary agreements to implement projects, per the signed resolution in the meeting packet. The Fiscal Court did not specify project agreements or contractors during the meeting; a procurement or grant-acceptance process must follow county procedures before funds are disbursed.

What’s next: The resolution authorizes county staff and officials to execute agreements necessary to implement the allocation; the county also filed Judge Riley’s support letter with the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority application materials.