Bartholomew County details relief fund spending

As the COVID-19 relief project, the American Rescue Plan, winds down by the end of this year, Bartholomew County is accounting for the funds it has spent.

County Auditor Pia O’Connor briefed the county commissioners on the status of the federal money yesterday. She said that the county received just over $16.4 million from the relief funds, including earned interest. And county officials have already spent $10.2 million on projects including courthouse and jail improvements and allocated another $4 million to a countywide broadband internet project.

O’Connor said the county has about $2.1 million in projects still to spend, mostly on the courthouse renovation project. The entire amount of the ARP funds must be allocated by the end of the year and the county has until the end of 2026 to spend the money.