Congress passed ARPA, a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill, in 2021 to aid the country's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. Money was given to cities nationwide.
The official deadline to commit the money passed Dec. 31, 2024. Cities were allowed to obligate up to $10 million in savings.
Helena committed all $8,486,620 it received to its General Fund, city spokesperson Jake Garcin said in an email, claiming it as recovered lost revenue.
But because all the money was put into savings, it was able to be spent on city and community projects.
Since then, $4.5 million has been spent on internal projects and $2.7 million was given to Helena businesses and organizations, city documents state.
Major decisions about where and how money was spent happened at various city meetings, with the commission getting the final say.
The remaining $1,118,800 is still in the General Fund, Garcin said.
For community spending, the city funded $2,781,100 in external projects, huge chunks going toward housing and homelessness.
The largest piece, $1.58 million, went to the Rocky Mountain Development Council for the Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church housing project. The project reportedly aims to build 113 housing units.
ARPA also funded a Family Promise shelter, a Good Samaritan shelter, Helena Food Share, and a downtown restroom, among other projects supporting Helena's unsheltered.
As for the $4,586,720 spent internally, the biggest project was repairing Ten Mile Water Treatment Plant, receiving $1.8 million.
Other expenses include replacing Grandstreet Theatre's roof, funding solar projects and bailing out community waterpark Last Chance Splash, which had a $200,000 budget deficit in 2023.
It also spent $750,000 on a computer aided dispatch and records management system and nearly half a million on the Helena Civic Center's HVAC system.
Another half-million went to human resources and finance software.
Lewis and Clark County met the Dec. 31 deadline. Its $13.5 million allocation went to 54 projects.
Christine Compton is a reporter for the Helena Independent Record.
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