The Mount Vernon City Council voted on July 14 to reimburse its Urban Improvement Fund for expenses incurred during the Fairgrounds Road Utilities Improvements and Resurfacing Project.
"We have fronted the money for the county stormwater, and we fronted the money for the county paving, so that once we are done and it's the project signed off on, ee will get payments from Cameron Keaton's department for stormwater, for pavement," City Engineer Brian Ball said, according to a video recording of the meeting. "And then we will invoice the County Water and Wastewater funds to help pay for this. And then we'll continue to invoice them over the life of the of the line."
Ball explained that the city is managing a multi-year project aimed at providing service and maintenance on pipes. The reimbursements, along with a 0% interest loan from the Ohio Public Works Commission, will allow Mount Vernon to rectify its financial records after utilizing General Fund resources for construction. These reimbursements will be reintegrated into the General Fund, facilitating further projects.
Ball noted that former Auditor Terry Scott had mandated utility-related projects be managed through utility fund accounts. This approach was feasible for smaller $100,000 projects but became impractical as project costs rose into millions. Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers facilitated funding by securing grants and loans, including payments from Knox County.
Salyers mentioned that Mount Vernon is awaiting a $308,000 reimbursement from the Ohio Public Works Commission. The city has also applied for a $259,000 loan and nearly $700,000 in grant funding. Additional financial support came from county stormwater and road funds as well as two allocations from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Ball confirmed that this year's project completion preceded the start of the Knox County Fair.
