Commissioners reallocate ARPA funds to pay paternity program, keep remainder for capital needs

The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners voted Aug. 5 to reallocate a portion of unused American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to cover paternity-establishment program costs and to move the remaining balance into capital maintenance projects.

Deputy County Administrator Cole told the board the reconciliation identified funds available for reallocation and recommended prioritizing internal capital repairs and legally obligated paternity payments. "This report comes by way of Dr. Catlin," he said, and advised that $192,704.60 be applied to paternity-establishment costs with the remaining balance shifted to capital needs. After discussion and a divided series of motions, the board approved that recommendation by voice and roll call votes.

The proposal originally prompted a request from the prosecutor's office for a one-time retention payment using leftover ARPA dollars; the prosecutor's request for $162,658.69 was debated at length. Commissioners expressed competing concerns: some supported using the existing ARPA allocation for retention given staffing pressures in the prosecutor's office, while others worried reallocating funds would validate an irregular process for departments to repurpose awards. Vice Chair (speaker 16) summarized the tension: board rules and prior vetting created expectations about how ARPA pots were to be used, but the board also sought to avoid penalizing critical, understaffed offices.

After a motion to honor the prosecutor's request failed, commissioners divided the question and approved the paternity-establishment allocation first. The board then approved moving the remaining ARPA funds to capital projects and maintenance, following Dr. Catlin's recommendation. The board instructed administration to provide additional detail on per-employee retention amounts and other implementation particulars during follow-up reporting.