KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County officials will hold a special legislative meeting Tuesday night to discuss how the county's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding — approximately $70.4 million — will be allocated.
If the county does not allocate the money by Dec. 31, it will be returned to the federal government.
"It's disheartening, frustrating when there's $70 million that hasn't been allocated to things yet and the clock is ticking," said Stephanie Boyer, CEO of reStart Inc., a homeless service in Kansas City, Missouri.
Boyer said she applied for the COVID-19 relief funding through Jackson County last year.
reStart Inc. wants to create low-income housing and expand its women's shelter with the funding.
Boyer says her application was recommended, and in that initial recommendation, it was suggested reStart should be allocated approximately $1.1 million.
"Now we're here a year later, still with no answers and the need is still greater than it was a year ago," she said.
Boyer was among nine other Jackson County civil right organizations and community-based social service providers to sign an open letter to County Executive Frank White Jr. this week. The letter asked White to ensure the funds would be spent before its deadline.
Jackson County officials — including White — agree they don't want the funds to go to waste.
"The reality is we're not sending this money back," said Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca. "There's no way we're going to do that."
The issue is, officials can not agree on how to allocate the funds.
Abarca and four other county legislators want to disburse the money to those who applied for the relief funding.
"These are the opportunities to vote right now to put this money into the community, where it should've gone in 2021," Abarca said.
On Monday, White proposed using the $70.4 million to reimburse the county for public safety and health care costs over the next three years.
In a statement, White said he would keep his initial promise through that proposal, and that it would allow the county to support nonprofits and community partners through ARPA funding.
"If we have to put it in our savings account and not lose it, great, but the community is owed a timeline and direction," Abarca said.
Abarca said he hopes for some compromises to be made at the special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night, but that he's preparing in case of a veto.
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.i