The city of Leitchfield is slated to receive nearly $1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in the latest distribution of funds intended to assist cities in overcoming expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday announced more than $162 million will be dispersed to over 360 non-entitlement cities from ARPA. This is the second round of ARPA funding for eligible local governments, as cities received the first round of funding last year, officials said.
Leitchfield is slated to receive $916,355.39 in the second round of federal funding after receiving $887,970.42 in July 2021.
Clarkson will receive $118,385.95 during this round of funding while Caneyville will receive $81,106.40. In July of last year, Clarkson received $78,594.06 in funds and Caneyville received $114,718.84.
The money, which state officials said was sent to cities on Thursday, will help offset expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the costs of personal protective equipment, vaccination clinics, loss of revenue, payroll and more.
“COVID has proven that Kentucky can rise to meet challenges when we work together,” Beshear said. “This funding will set eligible city governments up for success as we remain committed to building a better Kentucky.”
The Department for Local Government (DLG) is tasked with distributing these funds. Non-entitlement cities, or cities with populations under 50,000 that did not file for a different distinction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, were required to submit budget certification forms to DLG.
The total amount of funding to be sent out to cities is $162,101,603.
Each allocation was based on population, per the U.S. Treasury, state officials said.
For more information on ARPA funding for non-entitlement cities and a full list of eligible expenses, visit the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
