UCDD To Help UC Mayors In Need Of Administering TDEC ARP Money

UCDD will offer administrative services to Upper Cumberland counties needing assistance with managing TDEC ARP fund.

Executive Committee Chair Randy Heady said in his role as Jackson County Mayor, he does not have the staff to oversee the money.

“It is hard to navigate, and I don’t have time to do that kind of work,” Heady said. “So, I’m willing to pay you for somebody else to do that.”

The committee approved for the development district to provide the services Wednesday. Executive Mark Farley said three percent of the county’s allocation would be the baseline charge. The committee also allowed for Farley to negotiate that payment as some counties have more projects or need more services.

“We work for you guys and that’s what we are here for,” Farley said. “We aren’t here to make money off of this, but we do need to recover the cost. If we do end up getting quite a few that use the service, we’ll have to retain some extra help.”

Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster and Clay County Mayor Dale Reagan both said they would be interested in the services.

“We’ve talked about it in our budget committee,” Foster said. “I think three (percent) is reasonable.”

Counties that participate would gain many benefits over a four-year period. Farley said the development district would prepare project scorecards for submittal, recommend how funds would be best used, assist the application process and conduct the periodic reporting of expenditure reports.