Commissioners grant ARPA funds to VFDs

The Bandera County Commissioners’ Court voted during its regular meeting on April 14. to award over $190,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the nine volunteer fire departments serving Bandera County.

Enacted by the federal government, ARPA allocates funds to eligible state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to aid in their economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Per County Auditor, Darryl Sadler, approximately two million dollars of ARPA funds have already been received into Bandera County, while another two million dollars are still to come and is expected to be spent over the next four years.

There are nine volunteer fire departments that serve Bandera County: Bandera VFD, Lakeshore VFD, Tarpley VFD, Castle Lake Ranch VFD, Pipe Creek VFD, Medina VFD, Utopia VFD, Medina Lake VFD and Vanderpool VFD. Each will receive $10, 131.84.

Commissioner Jody Rutherford reminded the court that Bandera County cannot award Bandera County tax money to VFDs without each being incorporated through the Texas Comptroller’s office and incorporation fees paid up to date, with a yearly outside audit of all funds, property, and vehicles owned.

There would be an annual Internal Revenue tax statement filing with an interlocal agreement with each VFD stating what area of the county the VFD is responsible for in terms of fire detection and suppression in. Yet, the ARPA funds do not have the above stipulations in the way funds are dispersed to the VFDs that have responsibility for fire suppression in the County.

Sadler reminded the court proper documentation from each VFD will be needed in order for each to meet the requirements to qualify for the use of the ARPA funds.

Per the criteria of the U.S. Treasury, the ARPA funds can be used to provide premium pay for essential workers, support public health expenditures, replace lost public sector revenue, address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency and to invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

“I am very pleased that the court made these $10,000.00 ARP funds awards to each department, as some department need funds for apparatus repairs, tires, replace broken and worn equipment, and new wildland gear and other items covered under this funding,” said Rutherford.

“This drought for the past two years has stressed our Volunteer Fire Departments and their funding to their limits,” Rutherford continued. “They all need assistance in recovering from this long, dry period. Many thanks to all of them for their dedication and continued answering of the many fire calls in the past few months,” he said.