Hinds County down to $3 million in federal relief funds, asked to watch spending

Correction: This story has been updated to show the name of an organization the Board of Supervisors plans to work with is Hope Credit Union.

Hinds County received $22.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money last year and is set to receive the same amount next month.

However, most of that money has already been used, leaving the county with $3 million, county officials said.

The issue came up during a Monday meeting when County Administrator Kenneth Wayne Jones said the board should be careful about allocating more American Rescue Plan Act money.

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Much of the funding money has already been used for road, bridge and pavement projects. Nearly 30 infrastructure projects that proposed using between about $6,000 and $200,000 in ARPA funds were on the board's agenda Monday and most were approved.

ARPA funding was meant to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact on individuals, businesses and local and state governments. All state and local recovery funds must be allocated by Dec. 31, 2024, and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.

Some members question big ticket ARPA funding projects

On Monday, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors approved the use of $7 million in ARPA funds for two large-ticket items: the renovation of a building on State Street and an economic development plan for the county.

Before the votes, Ward 1 Supervisor Robert Graham and Ward 2 Supervisor David Archie asked for the board to have further discussion about the projects and how money for them will be spent.

"Nobody had brought this through the process," Archie said. "Hinds County can't continue to go down this road ... just throwing million and millions of dollars out there."

By a vote of 4 to 1, supervisors approved using $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to renovate the building at 664 State St. in Jackson to provide more office space for the county.

Archie didn't question the need for space for the county, but wondered where the idea to renovate the building came from and whether there would be other costs associated with maintaining the space once it is renovated.

"You don't put the cart before the horse," he said.

All members except Graham voted yes to fund the building renovation.

President Credell Calhoun said it could cost $800,000 to fix the building's roof. The costs for the interior have not been determined yet, he said.

Calhoun said Tuesday the board plans to talk about adding a health component, such as a health program for county employees, to the building renovation so that the project is eligible for ARPA funds.

At Monday's meeting, Graham said using ARPA funds for the renovation shows the county's priority is building space rather than roads, bridges and law enforcement.

Jones said the county is expecting to receive federal infrastructure money that can be used for roads and bridges, and the remaining ARPA money can be used for projects such as the building renovation.

The same building: Hinds supervisors vote against funding a temporary misdemeanor jail in Jackson

The board also voted 3 to 2 to use $4 million in ARPA funding for economic and community development in Hinds County. Archie and Graham voted no.

Ward 4 Supervisor Vern Gavin, who presented the plan to the board, said Tuesday the goal is to set up a community development supporting businesses, job creation, commercial development and housing in the county.

A focus of the economic development effort is to bring commercial activity to the Highway 80 corridor and revitalizing the area, Gavin said.

He said one of the organizations the board plans to work with is Hope Credit Union, which can provide residents help on their mortgages or those who are first-time homeowners.

Hinds County has a homeowner occupancy rate of 58% — lower than other places around the state such as Rankin County and DeSoto County outside of Memphis which have rates in the 70s percentage range, Gavin said.

Improving housing and business in the county can help bring property rates up, bring in more revenue for Hinds County and have that money go back into the community, he said.

"It's not a new concept," Gavin said. "We're bringing it to Hinds County to address the economic conditions and provide a stimulus to incentivize the growth of minority businesses."

Reporter Mina Corpuz can be reached by email at mcorpuz@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter @mlcorpuz.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hinds County cautioned about spending remaining federal relief funds