Mercer in line to get $8M

CELINA - Millions of dollars are expected to flow into Auglaize and Mercer counties as part of the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on Thursday.

Mercer County Auditor Randy Grapner and county treasurer Dave Wolters met with county commissioners to begin discussing funds anticipated to come to the county government. Grapner, who believes those dollars will be made available quickly, cited the National Association of Counties analysis of state and local funding as well as information from the Government Finance Officers Association.

"It looks like today on their information, Mercer County is scheduled to get someplace in the neighborhood of $7,985,056," Grapner said. "Everybody is getting their share based on population."

In comparison, the county government in 2020 took in and spent $2.53 million through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and related interest. That figure doesn't include money disbursed and spent by townships and municipalities.

NAC's breakdown of anticipated State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Funds authorized via the American Rescue Plan Act shows Auglaize County in line to receive $8.85 million; Darke County, $9.91 million; and Van Wert County, $5.48 million.

The $7.9 million in the latest round of COVID-19 relief funding is designated for the county government alone, Grapner said, noting separate pots of money will be funneled to county townships and municipalities.

"We don't know when (it will come). There are different rules out that are suggesting what the dollars and cents can be used for, and COVID relief is the overall umbrella," Grapner said. "These are recovery funds, according to one of the comments."

A GFOA news release states funding will be made available through 2024 and must be spent by the end of that calendar year. It lists eligible uses as revenue replacement of sources that were reduced due to COVID-19; premium pay for essential workers; assistance to small businesses, households and hard-hit industries and economic recovery; and investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

The county's sale tax collections would likely not be eligible for revenue replacement since they not only rebounded from disastrous lows in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic but also went on to set a record high for the 10th consecutive year.

County officials, though, may be able to use part of its money to replace lost casino tax revenue, Grapner said. The county took in $499,941 in casino tax revenue in 2019 and $391,565 in 2020.

"I think that we absolutely can tie that directly to COVID," Grapner said.

Commissioner Jerry Laffin speculated briefly on potential uses of the money under the eligible activity of infrastructure improvements before commissioner Greg Homan brought an end to the brainingstorming. He questioned the benefit of "throwing ideas out there" until elected officials have more specific guidelines.

"At this time things are very speculative," commissioner Rick Muhlenkamp said when asked if officials will find ways to spend the money.

Grapner noted that commissioners' office administrator Kim Everman and county auditor's office chief deputy of budgetary matters Brittany Hemmelgarn will once again be tasked with determining whether county department expenses are eligible for reimbursement from relief funds.

Commissioners in 2020 approved covering the costs of several services and purchases with $2.53 million in CARES funding, including more than $1.2 million in payroll and benefit expenses for select sheriff's office employees, $58,369 payroll and benefits of the two-person Emergency Management Agency; more than $200,000 on four new sheriff's office SUVs and related equipment and $142,000 relief grants to 24 small businesses hurt by the pandemic.

In one resolution, commissioners, citing U.S. Treasury guidance, stated a local government may presume that public health and public safety employees are substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to COVID-19, unless the chief executive of the relevant government determines that specific circumstances indicate otherwise.