FARMINGTON -- The council voted 6-0 on Nov. 14 to use the balance of the city's American Rescue Plan money to pay police salaries in 2022.
City Business Manager Melissa McCarville explained that the city received $1.5 million from the federal act and spent $120,636 on covid premium pay for employees in December 2021, leaving a balance of $1.4 million.
She said city staff recommended the council pass a resolution to amend the 2022 budget to decrease the police payroll and increase the line item for grant income.
Basically, the federal money will be used to pay $1.4 million of the 2022 police payroll and the money budgeted for these salary costs will be moved into the grants budget. For 2022, the city budgeted $1.5 million for regular payroll for the police department and another $114,000 for payroll for the two school resource officers.
City Attorney Steve Tennant said the final rules for using the American Rescue Plan funds allow cities receiving under $10 million to use the money to pay for any government service.
McCarville described a tedious process when it comes to reporting to the government on how the federal money is being used. By using it for police salaries, McCarville said she will only have to submit one more report to the federal government.
Mayor Ernie Penn said he wants the council to have a work session in early 2023 to discuss how to use the $1.4 million.