Claiborne County Commission declares ARPA funds as revenue loss, expanding allowable uses

Claiborne County commissioners voted 16–5 on Feb. 28 to declare the county’s ARPA allocation as revenue loss under the Treasury Department’s final rule, a change county leaders said will broaden how the funds may be spent.

The motion was made by Commissioner Nathan Epperson and passed after debate. County officials said declaring the funds as revenue loss permits the county to use ARPA money for general budgetary purposes — with the explicit exceptions of pensions, debt service and rainy‑day funds — and reduces reporting constraints for certain expenditures.

County Mayor Joe Brooks had earlier briefed commissioners on the Treasury Department’s final rule and urged them to consider options for the funds, including using the flexibility to address county needs. Supporters argued the designation provides the commission greater discretion to address local priorities without seeking individual programmatic approvals.

Opponents raised procedural and transparency concerns during the roll-call debate; five commissioners voted against the measure. Commissioners who opposed the motion sought additional safeguards and more explicit plans for how the funds would be spent prior to broad declaration.

The resolution directs the County Finance Director to record the ARPA funds as revenue loss in county accounts. The commission did not adopt a detailed spending plan at the meeting; commissioners said future allocations and line‑item adjustments would be brought back for specific votes or budget amendments.