Schuylkill County spent $197,928.33 in federal pandemic funds in the last three months of 2022, a consultant told commissioners Wednesday.

There’s approximately $9 million in uncommitted dollars left of the $27 million in American Rescue Plan Act money the county received, said County Administrator Gary R. Bender.

Pandemic funding consultant Mark Morgan, who is the director of Susquehanna Accounting & Consulting Solutions Inc., Harrisburg, gave an update on how ARPA money was spent over the fourth quarter of 2022.

The recent expenditures were $149,291 for the 911 tower project (which qualifies as a public health expenditure), and another $156,737.33 for cybersecurity upgrades (which qualify as an infrastructure expenditure), and $108,100 in the state’s CHIRP (COVID-19 Hospitality Recovery Program).

The state provided $1.6 million in CHIRP funds, but the county ran out of money before all the qualified businesses received their share. So the county distributed a second round from ARPA funds.

The state extended the CHIRP funding, allocating $459,990 to NEPA Alliance, a regional community and economic development agency.

NEPA disbursed $351,990, and returned $108,100 to the county. That money will go back into the ARPA fund, Morgan said.

The county spent $3 million to $3.1 million in 2021 and $6.5 million in 2022. There’s about $17.5 million remaining in unexpended funds, Morgan said.

Previously, the county earmarked $4.7 million in ARPA funds to close the 2023 budget gap.

In the third quarter, July through September of 2022, it spent $2,550 on a fire alarm system for the Children and Youth Services Agency building, and $250,945 for cyber security for the county’s computer systems.

The county also committed $3,725,006 for improvements to the 911 system towers and communication systems; $500,000 to the Schuylkill Municipal Authority for water projects in the north central area of the county, and $500,000 for affordable housing, and $128,518 to reimburse medical providers who helped county employees who battled the virus.