Murray considers how to spend $250K left in ARPA funds

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 October 2023 at 5:10 pm

MURRAY – The town has about $250,000 left from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and has about a year to spend the funds.

The board isn’t certain how it will spend those funds, whether it could goes towards public water, upgrades to the town hall, new ditch-clearing equipment for the highway department or another project or expense.

The town was awarded $305,742 in ARPA. Murray used $30,600 in 2023 to pay Monroe Ambulance for EMS coverage in the town.

Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio in the proposed 2024 town budget has put the ambulance contract to be paid by town taxpayers and not with the ARPA money. Monroe is seeking $52,000 from Murray next year.

Sidonio doesn’t want to see the ARPA money “nickel and dimed” and reduced to the point where it couldn’t cover new equipment or a town hall upgrade.

He didn’t want ARPA used for the ambulance in 2023 because he believed the Village of Holley should have chipped in towards the ambulance because Holley also received ARPA money.

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021. Some of the funds went to local governments to help them make investments in long-term assets, rebuild reserves and cover temporary operating shortfalls.

Murray still has the bulk of its ARPA. Some residents on Brockville Road have asked for a public waterline because their wells run dry and there is poor water quality. Part of Bennetts Corners Road also would like a public waterline.

Sidonio would rather see the ARPA funds go towards a project with town-wide benefit rather than to help a few residents.

He said the town hall needs upgrades, and Highway Superintendent Dirk Lammes has advocated for ditch-mowing equipment.

“The ARPA funds will eventually run out,” Sidonio said. “I don’t want to nickel and dime the ARPA fund to diminish the ability to do a larger project.”

Sidonio, Town Councilman Gerry Rightmyer and Lammes plan to go see the residents’ properties where public water is requested to assess the size of the project.