Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Dayton Daily News series tracking how dozens of our area’s largest governments are spending hundreds of millions of dollars combined from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Visit our“Billions in COVID aid: Where it’s going” special section on our website to see summaries from other communities. The Dayton Daily News is a media partner of WCPO.com.
Liberty Twp. spent none of the $4,076,492 it was granted through the federal American Rescue Plan Act on community projects in 2022, instead opting to use those funds in 2023 and 2024 to repave the township’s roadways.
“As a fast-growing community, the demands on our roads have increased as the township continues to develop,” said Caroline McKinney, economic development director of Liberty Twp. in Butler County. “Without a specific revenue stream directly tied to roads, it’s been determined that utilizing ARPA funds to help with annual paving is a good use of the dollars.”
McKinney said $1.5 million in ARPA funds has already been set aside to tackle the project in 2023. She added that the remaining ARPA funds, totaling around $2.6 million, would be officially allocated later this year during the township’s budgeting process.
According to federal guidelines, local governments have until the end of 2024 to allocate their respective funds. ARPA funds must then be completely spent by the end of 2026.
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