ND Counties Make Pitch for ARPA Funds to be Dedicated to Local Infrastructure

Posted 10/18/21 (Mon)

“Counties are ready,” that was the pitch from NDACo Executive Director Terry Traynor when he testified before the House Appropriations Committee regarding proposals being considered for the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Traynor emphasized how local road and bridge infrastructure is the greatest cost for county government and local property taxpayers. He, along with many other lawmakers, highlighted the $9 billion, 20-year road investment need that has been identified by the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) Local Roads Study.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are meeting over the course of the next three weeks to hear more than 200 requests from state lawmakers and agencies on how to best use the ARPA funds. The requests total more than $9 billion in funding ideas; the state has received $1 billion.

There are over $2 billion in requests for transportation infrastructure through 14 requests. Many of the plans are redundant or similar. Some of the committee’s discussion revolved around ARPA funding for counties being focused for bridge construction.

“I am asking the committee to consider broadening what the Legislature would fund. In North Dakota we have 3,000 bridges over 20 feet long and over one-third of those bridges are in eastern counties,” said Traynor. “If the goal is to spread the funding across the state, we would ask for you to consider broadening the funding to local infrastructure to dirt moving and paving. This would allow for more projects to get moving across more areas of the state. This would also allow for more contractors to be involved, which could get projects done more quickly.”

Traynor continued to explain how North Dakota counties have shovel ready projects. “Even though Prairie Dog funds were not guaranteed, counties developed projects for those anticipated dollars that they can move right away. These are one-time projects; they address a significant statewide need as well as local area needs and they’re visible to the taxpayers.”

The House Appropriations Committee also discussed the possibility of a 50-50 match for a $100 million proposal. Traynor shared how smaller counties will have a challenge coming up with the match in the short time frame allowed.

The Appropriations Committees will narrow down the proposals and bring them forward in the form of bills for the Legislature to address during the Special Session scheduled to begin November 8th.

Photo: NDACo Executive Director Terry Traynor, at podium, makes the counties' case for ARPA funding before the House Appropriations Committee.