Finance and Taxation Committee approves $374,668.39 ARPA transfer to General Fund

The Monroe Finance and Taxation Committee voted unanimously in November 2024 to transfer $374,668.39 in remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds into the city’s General Fund to cover eligible revenue-loss expenditures.

Administrator Vindy, who presented the item to the committee, said the city received $1,105,823.28 in ARPA funds disbursed in 2021–22 and that the eligible expense period runs through Dec. 31, 2024. "We have spent a portion of it with the ladder truck that was recently received, but we do have $374,668.39 that remains unobligated," Vindy said. She proposed allocating the remainder to zoning services, legal services and building permit services, which she said had been higher than budgeted this year.

The chair read the resolution authorizing the allocation under the ARPA revenue-loss provision and moved its approval. The motion was seconded and approved by roll call: Alder Trueheart, Alder Grenzo and Alder Tolman voted "Aye." The chair declared the motion passed unanimously.

Vindy said transferring the ARPA balance into the General Fund at year-end would increase reported revenue for 2024 and therefore bolster the city’s fund balance. She emphasized this approach was intended to cover one-time, pandemic-era revenue shortfalls rather than to create ongoing budget increases for the next year.

The committee did not raise additional questions during the meeting. No amendments or conditions to the allocation were proposed; the resolution directs staff to obligate the identified funds to the stated accounts before the end of the ARPA eligibility period.

Next steps: staff will execute the transfer and apply the funds to the zoning, legal and building permit accounts as outlined in the committee recommendation.