DUTCHESS COUNTY COMPTROLLER ROBIN LOIS RELEASES 2023 Q2 UPDATE ON ALLOCATION AND SPENDING OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN (ARP) FUNDS
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – The Dutchess County Comptroller’s Office has released their Q2 Special Update Report on the ARP federal funding, the “Dutchess Invests” spending plan, and actual expenditures/obligations of the County as of June 30, 2023. The County has received a total of $57,148,397 in ARP funds and has since spent $22,814,448, of which $1,389,054 was spent in the 2nd quarter. The remaining $34,333,949 must be incurred or obligated by December 31, 2024.
The five largest expenditures from Q2 were for: (1) County Payroll and Benefits – $711,415; (2) Heritage Financial Park (formerly Dutchess Stadium) improvements – $114,565; (3) Bowdoin Park archery range – $95,475; (4) the design of the gallery space at the Trolley Barn as part of the Agency Partner Grant (APG) – $84,467, and (5) sports lighting materials for the stadium – $81,936.
The ARP Strategic Plan was updated by Acting County Executive O’Neil on June 30, 2023. Some notable changes were made regarding a 73% reduction in high-speed internet funding; the reallocation of the water storage project; category reclassification for the purchase of 26 Oakley Street from Homeless Housing to County Infrastructure; and the addition of the repurposing of the 1995 jail building project into the Homeless Housing plan category.
Notably, the Stadium Improvement project budget and the Housing Trust budget on the most recent SLFRF (State and Local Financial Recovery Funds) Compliance Report does not accurately reflect what is reported in the County financial system, creating a discrepancy with the corresponding capital project and reserve account’s actual available funding. The Comptroller’s Office recommends that a resolution be brought to the Legislature for approval to adjust the budgets to what is reported to the federal government and to the public.
The ARP Update report can be found here.
