COLUMBUS, Ind. — Within a month, Bartholomew County government will begin to receive a large infusion of federal dollars.
A total of $16.2 million is expected through the American Rescue Plan, Bartholomew County commissioner Tony London said.
Abut $8 million will be received on or before May 11, county auditor Pia O’Connor said. The remaining amount will be received next year, she said.
In addition, Hoosier schools will be receiving their own batch of money separate from other funds, London said. In an interview last week, Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond, estimated that between $2.9 billion to $3 billion in federal funds will become available for K-12 education in Indiana. Raatz is chairman of the Indiana Senate Education and Career Development Committee.
This isn’t the first infusion of federal funds received by county government since the pandemic began. In May, 2000, Bartholomew County government officials learned they were eligible for $2.68 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
While the CARES Act focused more on businesses, the American Rescue Plan Act prioritizes direct payments and unemployment assistance, as well as funnels $350 billion to support state and local governments. That’s over twice the CARES Act’s $150 billion.
In terms of infrastructure, the new funds can help make necessary investments in water, sewer and rural broadband internet, O’Connor said. It also modifies the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Premium Tax Credit, which helps cover health insurance premiums.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
