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Wood County chair outlines remaining ARPA dollars and local capital projects
Summary
Chair Lance Plyml said Wood County has allocated about $2.99 million of remaining ARPA funds (of roughly $11 million total) to projects including parks improvements and a federally qualified health center site; funds must be spent by the end of 2026, he said.
Wood County Board Chair Lance Plyml told WFHR that the county still has federal ARPA dollars to spend and must obligate them by the end of 2026 or risk federal clawback.
"We got to make sure we spend them by then," Plyml said, adding that roughly $2.99 million has been allocated from a total of about "11 point some odd million." He said local projects receiving ARPA funding include parks improvements, purchases for the jail (generators cited as an example of prepaying capital expenses) and the planned site for a federally qualified health center near the Boys & Girls Club, where ground must be broken to meet expenditure rules.
Plyml acknowledged that some jurisdictions used ARPA for operational expenses, which he called shortsighted because operational costs are ongoing. He said the county has focused ARPA uses on capital improvements—projects the county can reasonably complete or prepay within federal timeframes.
Why it matters: Federal ARPA funds carry deadlines and spending rules. Plyml said the county is monitoring timing and readiness—ordering equipment or beginning projects now to ensure dollars are spent in time. He cited past examples where the county prepaid items (generators) before installation to satisfy timing.
The interview did not include formal budget documents or a complete project list; Plyml's comments are an overview of priorities and timing rather than a vote or ordinance.
