TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett says 99 percent of the funds allocated at the city council meeting were connected to COVID-19.
The ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) has a primary goal of paying the city back and making the city whole again, to where it was prior to COVID-19.
Mayor Bennett says the city has over 36 million they plan to spend over the coming years, with five million of those funds allocated at the council meeting.
That five million will help pay COVID expenses, contractual services and medical supplies as well as other areas.
Having already taken care of internal issues like loss of revenue Mayor Bennett’s plan moving forward involves make more community investments.
“One of the primary targets I’m going for is our inner city park,” Mayor Bennett explained. “So we’re going to use some of the ARPA funds to do that. We’re looking at housing projects to create new housing in our community. We’re looking at workforce development. We’re just looking at a whole bunch of different things that will benefit all of us.”
Funds will also be used for a performance based pay component that will provide full-time city employees $1,500 for their work during the COVID pandemic.
