MANSFIELD — Richland County commissioners on Thursday formally approved previously discussed American Rescue Plan Act expenditures, including $359,000 to purchase four vehicles for the sheriff’s office.
The money will come from the “lost revenue” portion of the county’s ARPA funds and will buy four 2023 Ford Interceptor Utility vehicles, according to county administrator Andrew Keller.
Commissioners set aside $450,000 in ARPA spending for the purchases last year during budget discussions, Keller said.
The vehicles will be purchased through established state-contract bid pricing.
“(RCSO) Capt. (Jim) Sweat is always very proactive in getting these ordered in time, which is critical because they are still waiting for the four vehicles ordered in 2022,” Keller said.
He said the $359,000 includes “some, but not all, of the accessories” deputies need on patrol. Ordering them now will lock in current prices, he said.
“Today’s cruisers are pretty heavily outfitted,” Keller said, including computer accessories inside the vehicles. “They are mobile command centers.”
The administrator said the RCSO maintains a rolling inventory in its vehicle fleet and the new Fords will be ready for immediate usage.
“I don’t know that it’s ‘four in, four out’ (in terms of vehicles), but they keep track based upon mileage and sometimes damage,” Keller said.
The county received $23.6 million in ARPA funding from the federal government in 2021 as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the expenditures approved Thursday, Commissioner Tony Vero said the county has about $13 million in total ARPA remaining. That number includes “restricted” ARPA and the “revenue loss” ARPA, which has looser guidelines for its usage.
Under rules established by the U.S. Treasury, all ARPA funds must be appropriated by the end of 2024 and projects completed by the end of 2026.
