Zionsville Mayor John Stehr said the town is working to make sure its finances are in order.
Last month, Stehr told members of the town council that his office has taken a deep dive into Zionsville’s American Rescue Plan funds.
“The previous council gave us a roadmap into how that money was to be spent across all of our departments. All funds must be committed from the ARPA account by the end of 2024 and then out the door by the end of 2026,” Stehr said. “So, we started with $6.4 million, and so far around $2 million has been spent and another $400,000 is committed. That means we have a remaining balance of just over $4 million.”
Provided for by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, ARPA funds are federally available revenue replacement dollars for government services that saw reductions due to the pandemic. Eligible expenses include assistance to small businesses, households, and hard-hit industries, and economic recovery; pay for essential workers; and investments in infrastructure.
Stehr said his staff will monitor Zionsville’s ARPA account to make sure the money is being used as it was allocated and ensure deadlines are being met.
“We are ahead of that, and hopefully by the last quarter, we will have complete clarity on what has been spent, what is committed, and what still needs to be spent,” Stehr said.
In the first quarter, the town committed about $400,000 of ARPA funds to pay for the updated comprehensive plan.
