Federal ARPA Funds Take Spotlight at Meeting

Vermilion County Board member Jerry Hawker continues to question why all board members are not being allowed to decide how over $14-million dollars in federal ARPA funds are spent.  Bill Pickett has more….

Hawker also says he has not been given a complete list of how millions of dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funds have been allocated so far.   But Vermilion County Board Chairman Larry Baughn claims Hawker has been given the information….

{AUDIO:  ‘’He was given a list, I believe, by the Financial Resource Director about two weeks ago.  And the list comes out with every Finance Committee agenda and has since the inception of ARPA. …The County Board Office didn’t deny a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act request)  to Mr. Hawker. The County State’s Attorney’s Office handles our FOIA, so they would have to speak to that denial.  But…Mr. Hawker has a list of ARPA funds have been spent, and he’s on the Finance Committee too, so.’’}

‘’It’s important we let the public know where we’re spending $14-million dollars,’’ said Hawker during Tuesday evening’s County Board meeting.  The Board earlier authorized its Finance and Personnel Committee to decide how the ARPA funds should be allocated.   Hawker says one of the most important functions of county board members is to prepare and approve expenditures.  But when it comes to ARPA funds, he says many county board members are being denied that opportunity.  Hawker has filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office seeking to get a list of how the money is being spent even though Baughn says Hawker already has that information.

[Photo above shows (on left) County Board Vice-Chairman Craig Golden, Larry Baughn, the chairman of the county board in middle, and Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy.}