American Rescue Plan Act funds coming to local cities and counties

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Millions of dollars in federal money will soon be spent by cities and counties.

The big question is how will elected leaders spend the American Rescue Plan Act funds.

There are multiple ways to spend the cash but local and state governments must meet the federal guidelines.

There are questions as to what projects the money can legally be used for.

However, we know water and internet improvements all qualify.

For economic developers, the opportunity to improve infrastructure is a huge step in recruiting industry.

“I think water and sewer. Those kind of infrastructures have a long time benefit. Those are things we forget about because they are buried under the ground,” said Joe Max Higgins, CEO GTR Link. “They are specifically mentioned in ARPA law. Some of the things being looked at may or may not be eligible. Some of the federal rules have not come down yet, but we know water and sewer gonna be. And we know that water and sewer is integral in everybody’s business, whether it’s a downtown shop or a big industry. So, I’d like to see it in water and sewer.”

Lowndes County and Columbus leaders have not made any decisions on how they plan to spend ARPA money.

Categories: Local News