The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission are set to discuss Tuesday whether to take back nearly $5 million in COVID-era grants that have already been allocated to organizations.
American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds were given out to local governments across the country by the federal government in 2021. Athens-Clarke County received almost $60 million and was tasked with doling it out to local nonprofits and other organizations. The money must be spent by the agencies by the last day of 2026 or be returned to the federal government.
During a Tuesday agenda setting session, the mayor and commission will discuss whether to take back nearly $5 million dollars of so-far unspent money at risk of having to be sent back to Washington at the end of next year.
According to county documents, staff will recommend that only about half a million of those $5 million be reallocated, mostly to affordable housing initiatives. That half-million dollar sum was originally allocated to workforce development programs.
