Commissioners prepare for American Rescue Plan funds

The Hays County Commissioners Court recently debated on how to spread  over $44.7 million of funding expected to be allocated to the county through the American Rescue Plan. 

The court approved a resolution brought forward by Commissioner Walt Smith during Tuesday’s meeting that would split up the funding by approximately $8.5 million to each of the four precincts. Unused funds would go back to the countywide general fund. 

“We know our districts and our precincts very well,” Smith said. “And I can tell you some of the very direct needs that are in certain areas in San Marcos relative to this recovery are very, very different than needs that are in Driftwood, that are in Dripping Springs, that are in Neiderwald, or that are in Kyle or Buda. 

Hays County will receive $44,711,903 in ARP funds. The American Rescue Plan is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed through Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11. 

“I believe that setting aside a certain amount of those funds to address true countywide issues is a prudent way to go about it,” Smith said. “But I also believe that just as strongly that each one of our individual precincts has needs that I don’t understand that you may in your precinct that I trust each of my colleagues to try to address.” 

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said he thought blocking off funding into quadrants of dollars seemed “inappropriate.” 

“I think it might be a good idea to have it as a county, we have a great auditor system, we have a great county system to not break it up and say, ‘You must use this dollar amount in the precinct,’ because it could lend itself to a forced overreached effort in spending in a specific space where we may not need to divide it that way,” Becerra said. “I would think that it would be most useful to leave it in a countywide perspective.” 

Becerra later said his intent by not spreading the funds by precinct was to “keep it vague enough for all of us to have the maximum benefit for our constituents.” 

Commissioner Lon Shell said he believed that they’d be able to produce balance across the county out of the funds allocated. 

“So, I don’t have a problem with starting with some rule of thumb,” he said. “I don’t think anyone is proposing that this wouldn’t come back to court anytime that the court is going to decide to fund something with these dollars. There’ll be a process. So, for instance, let’s say I came in and said, ‘You know I want to do, I believe there is a need in Wimberley for x dollars for a project,’ If this court decides that that’s not proper uses of the funds, so be it.”

The court unanimously approved the resolution with the added language for returning funds not used by a specific precinct to  the county’s general fund as well as language to allow the auditor’s office to submit necessary documents to the U.S. Department of Treasury office for ARP funds.