Spencer County Fiscal Court rescinds $500,000 ARPA allocation for broadband, orders ARPA review

The Spencer County Fiscal Court voted April 15 to rescind a prior resolution that had reserved $500,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for broadband expansion, and directed county officials to conduct a comprehensive review of remaining ARPA funding.

The resolution, introduced and approved by voice vote with Magistrate Danny Pharris absent, states that “the resolution passed on 10/18/2021 allocating $500,000 of ARPA funding toward broadband expansion in Spencer County is hereby rescinded.” The court also directed staff to notify relevant state and federal agencies and to prioritize ARPA projects that will have the greatest positive impact on residents.

Judge Executive Scott Travis framed the action as a reallocation step: the court will reassess ARPA priorities and “identify and prioritize projects that will have the greatest positive impact on the residents and communities of Spencer County,” according to the resolution language presented at the meeting.

The vote came amid broader budget discussions. Travis outlined proposed budget highlights that included an across‑the‑board $0.50‑per‑hour raise for county employees and additional funds for fuel and electricity. Magistrates and staff debated tradeoffs between merit‑based pay and uniform raises; no final compensation package was adopted at the April 15 meeting.

Next steps: the court will complete the directed review of ARPA allocations and return with proposals for reallocation; no new broadband contract or expenditure tied to the rescinded amount was approved during the meeting.

(Reporting based on the April 15, 2024 Spencer County Fiscal Court meeting minutes.)