Polk County ARPA Funds Update

Crookston, MN — Polk County Commissioner Joan Lee stopped by the KKCQ Food for Thought Program this week to provide an update on their disbursement of the American Rescue Plan, or ARPA, funds. The county has been using a significant portion of that funding to provide grants for various needs throughout the local communities. Some recent examples of which included $137,000 to the City of Crookston for sewer infrastructure, $150,000 to the Polk County Fair Association for grounds improvements, and $248,000 to the City of McIntosh for pandemic related revenue loss at the Poplar Meadows assisted living complex. Polk County Commissioner Joan Lee says they’ve also used ARPA funding to provide septic system repairs to county residents.

More information on the Septic System Repair Grant is available on the Polk County Website.

Overall, Polk County received roughly $6 million in ARPA funds from the Federal Government. However, Commissioner Lee says they are now going to be putting a hold any new grant requests and focus the remainder of the funding on internal needs.

Lee added that the county commission is also exploring reinstating a $10 wheelage tax, as well as a possible sales tax, to help recover lost revenue within the county.