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County of Union Board of Commissioners 

Recovery Plan Performance Report - American Rescue Plan Act Programs 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Executive Summary 

On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law by President 

Biden. The County of Union was allocated $64.6 million in State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal 

Recovery Funds. The County is currently considering a broad range of uses of the funds, in 

compliance with federal guidance. 

The County is currently seeking public comment in an effort to properly allocate its resources. In 

an effort to do so, the County is in the process of utilizing a survey to gauge the interest and needs

of citizens of the County so that may consider these needs when allocating funds. 

In compliance with the U.S. Treasury’s Reporting and Compliance Guidelines, the County of 

Union submits this Recovery Plan Performance Report to reflect the progress made to date. 

Use of Funds 

A. Public Health Response to COVID-19 

• The County continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the 

County has expended funds for COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and contact tracing 

initiatives, including healthcare professionals, supplies, scheduling programs, 

waste management and door to door campaigning to increase awareness and reach 

hard to reach communities. The County further aims to use funding to prevent the 

spread of the virus through the use of PPE and other mitigation techniques for 

prevention in congregate settings (i.e., nursing homes, prisons, dense work sites, 

schools, etc.), and to provide alternate care facilities. Finally, the County has 

expended funds for payroll costs of public health, safety, and other staff. 

• The County is considering opportunities to ensure first responders’ ability to safely 

respond to emergencies and disasters along with advance support of the County 911 

service and other emergency services for impacted residents such as shelters, food, 

supplies and other basic needs. 
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B. Community Infrastructure 

• The County is considering ways to increase broadband access to its citizens, 

especially the County’s underserved and unserved citizens, which is expected to 

have an economic impact for generations to come. 

• The County is reviewing and determining infrastructure deficiencies within the 

County’s neighborhoods with the intent on focusing strategically on the 

infrastructure needs in the County’s urban areas. 

• The County is considering infrastructure deficiencies with regard to public roads, 

streets and sidewalks, to better serve the County’s citizens and communities, 

including those underserved and unserved citizens. 

C. Address Negative Economic Impacts 

• The County has expended funds for household assistance, including food 

distribution, along with the appropriate supplies and equipment. 

• The County has expended funds to give increased pay to lifeguards to attract more 

applicants for these positions. The County operates several pools which serve 

lower-income families and individuals and provide an outlet exercise and socialize 

within their community. The County relies on lifeguards, to ensure public safety, 

by providing a safe environment for families and individuals to utilize the pool. 

Providing an increase in pay for lifeguards allowed the County to attract lifeguards 

to staff the pool, which will allow families and individuals effected by negative 

economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to attend safely. 

• Cities and counties have entered an unprecedented era of funding opportunities in 

response to COVID-19. The County will be considering programs designed to 

support economic recovery from COVID-19. The County is reviewing 

opportunities to support future investments in economic development activities 

focusing on the creation of quality job opportunities within the County community. 

• The County intends to provide apprenticeship programs to assist its citizens in 

returning to work. 

• The County recognizes that County businesses and restaurants have been greatly 

impacted by COVID-19. The County is considering opportunities to further assist 

such businesses and restaurants in response to COVID-19. 

• The County is considering ways in which to increase tourism back in to the County 

in order to assist businesses, entertainment and residents in job creation as a result 

of COVID-19. 

• The County seeks to install athletic fields for recreational use by athletic groups 

and for families and individuals and provide an outlet for exercise and socialization 

within their community. 

D. Replace Public Sector Revenue Loss 

• The County of Union experienced a revenue loss of $26.7 million in 2020 due to 

the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis regarding revenue replacement is based on 

the formula in the Interim Final Rule as of December 31, 2020. The growth 

adjustment used was 4.1 percent over 3 years prior to the pandemic. Major losses 

were felt across the board. Particularly hard-hit were revenues from the County 

Hospital Board of Pay Patients and Parks & Recreation. Using this initial analysis 

as the total amount available regarding Revenue Replacement Funds, the County 

has begun reviewing opportunities for use of American Recovery Act 2021 funds. 
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• In accordance with the Compliance and Reporting Guide: State and Local Fiscal 

Recovery Funds issued by the United States Department of Treasury, the County 

has utilized the eligible costs identified as Revenue Replacement Funds to cover 

certain government services as reflected in the County of Union 2021 Budget. 

Replacement revenue was only utilized to offset costs incurred from March 3, 2021 

through July 31, 2021. The governmental services were allocated in the following 

areas by the Revenue Replacement Fund for the reporting period.

 Public Safety – Salaries & Wages

 Public Safety – Operating Expenses

 Capital Improvements 

• In accordance with Treasury’s guidance, the County will NOT use Fiscal Recovery 

Funds for expenses associated with obligations under instruments evidencing 

financial indebtedness for borrowed money, including interest or principal on any 

outstanding debt instrument, including, i.e., short-term revenue or tax anticipation 

notes, or fees or issuance costs associated with the issuance of new debt; or for the 

satisfaction of any obligation arising under or pursuant to a settlement agreement, 

judgment, consent decree, or judicially confirmed debt restructuring in a judicial, 

administrative, or regulatory proceeding, except if the judgment or settlement 

required the provision of government services; or to replenish financial reserves 

(e.g., rainy day or other reserve funds) 

E. Administrative Costs 

• The County has also expended funds for the payment of professional services, 

financial tracking services, facilities management services, and assistance with its 

elections during COVID-19. 

Promoting Equitable Outcomes 

The County serves a diverse population, and aims to prioritize economic and racial equity. The 

County intends to allocate funds to projects that address system public health issues, provide 

economic stabilization to households, and building strong communities through investments in 

housing and neighborhoods. The County is considering the following: 

• Providing services to address homelessness such as supportive housing, and to improve 

access to stable, affordable housing among unhoused individuals; 

• Providing affordable housing development to increase supply of affordable and highquality living units; and 

• Providing housing vouchers, residential counseling, or housing navigation assistance to 

facilitate household moves to neighborhoods with high levels of economic opportunity and 

mobility for low-income residents, to help residents increase their economic opportunity 

and reduce concentrated areas of low economic opportunity; 

• Creating new, expanded, or enhanced early learning services, including pre-kindergarten, 

Head Start, or partnerships between pre-kindergarten programs and local education 

authorities, or administration of those services; 

• Aiding high-poverty school districts to advance equitable funding across districts and 

geographies; 
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• Creating new or expanded high-quality childcare to provide safe and supportive care for 

children; 

• Creating home visiting programs to provide structured visits from health, parent educators, 

and social service professionals to pregnant women or families with young children to offer 

education and assistance navigating resources for economic support, health needs, or child 

development; and; 

• Providing enhanced services for child welfare-involved families and foster youth to 

provide support and training on child development, positive parenting, coping skills, or 

recovery for mental health and substance use challenges. 

Community Engagement 

The County intends to make a survey available to all residents of the County. The survey will help 

the County gauge its residents’ strongest needs as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 

pandemic. Further, over the next several months, the County will present draft plans and obtain 

community feedback regarding the use of funds. 

Labor Practices 

The County is in early stages. Labor and workforce practices on infrastructure projects being 

pursued will be forth coming in future reporting.. 

Use of Evidence 

As the County is in early stages, program evaluations will be forthcoming in future reporting. 
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Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category 

Cumulative Amount Spent

Category Expenditure Expenditure Since Last

Number Category to Date Recovery Plan

1: Public Health

1.1 Covid-19 Vaccination 768,060.76 768,060.76 

1.2 Covid-19 Testing 1,072,850.41 1,072,850.41 

1.3 Covid-19 Contact Tracing 406.75 406.75 

1.4

Prevention in Congregate Settings (Nursing Homes, Prisons/Jails, 

Dense Work Sites, Schools, etc.) 8,215.10 8,215.10 

1.8 Other Covid-19 Public Health Expenses 465,460.00 465,460.00 

1.9

Payroll Costs for Public Health, Safety, and Other Public Sector Staff 

Responding to COVID-19 1,271,499.08 1,271,499.08 

2: Negative Economic Impacts

2.1 Household Assistance: Food Programs 1,837,020.68 1,837,020.68 

6: Revenue Replacement

6.1 Provision of Government Services 2,907,700.00 2,907,700.00 

Total: 8,331,212.78 $ 8,331,212.78 $ 

Project Inventory 

• COVID-19 Vaccination 

• COVID-19 Testing 

• COVID-19 Contact Tracing 

• Prevention in Congregate Settings 

• Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses 

• Payroll Costs for Public Health, Safety and Other Public Sector Staff Responding to 

COVID-19 

• Household Assistance: Food Programs 

• Provision for Government Services 

Performance Indicators 

As the County is in the early stages, Performance Indicators will be forth coming in future 

reporting. 

Next Steps 

At this time, the County expects to survey the County stakeholders and present upcoming plans to 

such stakeholders for their suggestions and input and intends on providing an updated report by 

December 31, 2021.