ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – In the final phase of the ARP funds distribution Winnebago County’s finance committee is put aa road block according to the Chairman John Butitta.
With just one million dollars remaining, the committee will look for help elsewhere as the next request is for a project that is estimated to cost around two million dollars. There are around 10 other requests for ARP funds that the committee is looking to support. That includes next on the list of priorities, the Rockford Area Art Council.
“Those are all basically on hold because if we fund the water project there’s nothing left,” said Butitta. “Right now we are tied up. So what we requested tonight was it to go to economic development. For them to discuss it see if it would, that was a project they would take on and pay through host fee funds.”
The required water project will need to get done and so an alternative to the ARP funds is possibly the host fee funds handle the project.
“I’ve had conversation with chairman Sweeney of the economic development committee that really this project, this water project is an economic development project, he’s agreed that it is so we are going to transfer those funds from the ARP funds to the host fee funds ?” Butita said.
The county has used little more than 3 million dollars from the phase four federal Covid money already. This has handled 10 requests chosen by the committee. They consist of mainly community and county projects. A youth suicide prevention program, Illinois food bank support, children’s advocacy center, and a water resources strategic plan.
It isn’t clear if the economic development committee plans on speaking about the matter at their next meeting, however it will need to be discussed before anything moves forward in the remaining ARP funds.
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